
Vitamin D is an important nutrient that is required by the body for several important functions. Vitamin D helps in bone development and maintenance. It is also crucial for the nervous system, musculoskeletal system and immune system. There are different ways to get vitamin D, however, the best way to get this important vitamin is through sun exposure on your skin. Other ways to get vitamin D are through food and nutritional supplements.
However, people are often confused about how much sun exposure they need to get enough of Vitamin D. Read on to know how long you should sit in the sun.
Your skin has 7-dehydrocholesterol which helps absorb ultraviolet (UV) B radiation and converts it into previtamin D3. This then isomerises into vitamin D3. To get the required amount of Vitamin D, you should have sun exposure from somewhere around 5 to 30 minutes a day, most days of the week, says NIH.
It is also crucial that you get sun exposure without sunscreen because SPF ≤8 can impact the body’s ability to absorb the UVB rays that is required to make vitamin D. Several other factors affect UV radiation exposure and vitamin D synthesis. This includes time and length of day, cloud cover, environmental pollution, melanin content and sunscreen.
NIH says that while the recommendations call for sun time without any sunscreen, it is important to limit the time in the sun without sun protection as it increases your risk of skin cancer. "In optimal circumstances, one might choose to spend a small amount of time in the sun (no more than 30 minutes) for vitamin D synthesis and then follow sun protection recommendations, including using sunscreens with appropriate levels of SPF and clothing/hats to cover exposed areas. While tanning beds may offer UVB radiation, the risks may outweigh the benefits."
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