RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—At times, trying to figure out how much vitamin D we need, where to get it, and exactly why we need it seems more complicated than taking an advanced chemistry course. On one side, there’s a camp saying many of us can get all the D we need from the sun. Other experts say that’s a recipe for skin cancer. Among subscribers to that latter school of thought is the Skin Cancer Foundation, which recently released its own guidelines for acquiring enough D.
THE DETAILS: For years, vitamin D has been known as an essential partner to calcium because it aids in the body’s absorption of that mineral. But recently, studies have elevated the vitamin to miracle-worker status, linking sufficient blood levels of the vitamin to a reduced risk of cancer, diabetes, and even asthma. The problem is, vitamin D deficiency is an epidemic in this country, with more than half of Americans lacking the proper levels in their blood. While it’s generally recognized among the medical community that the current daily recommended allowance of 200 international units (IU) to 700 IU, depending on age, is dreadfully low, several organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and now the Skin Cancer Foundation, are posting their own guidelines. The AAP recommends 400 IU a day for babies completely or partially breastfed. (Formulas are fortified with vitamin D.) Now, the Skin Cancer Foundation recommends adults take 400 to 1,000 IU of the vitamin, but urges people to get it from supplements and food sources—not from the sun.
WHAT IT MEANS: Most of us could use a vitamin D uptick. Depending where you live, your body may get enough sunlight to make vitamin D in your skin. However, for people who live north of Atlanta, GA, the sun’s elevation is not sufficient to create the vitamin-D-producing effects through sun-to-skin exposure. This is where foods and supplements come into play.
Here’s how to meet the new D guidelines:
• Find out if you’re deficient. Most of the country doesn’t get nearly enough vitamin D, both because there’s been a strong effort to lower skin cancer risk by using sunscreen and limiting sun exposure, and because the vitamin is in very few foods. Chances are good you are deficient, but you can be sure by asking your doctor for a 25-OH vitamin D blood test assessment.
• Find vitamin D from sunless sources. Though vitamin D is found naturally in few foods, many are fortified with it—from baby formula to milk and certain orange juice products. It’s also found in the flesh of mackerel and salmon (3.5-ounce servings contain about 350 IU each). If you eat salmon, stay away from farm-raised types, and look for wild-caught Alaskan salmon—it contains fewer environmental contaminants and higher levels of healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
• Supplement with supplements. Generally, it is much better to get your vitamins and nutrients from fresh food. But because it’s tough to hit the 1,000-IU mark recommended for adults through food sources only, supplementation is a good option. There are two types, but doctors are increasingly recommending D3, the kind our bodies make when sunlight hits our skin. It’s uncommon to overdose on vitamin D, but the U.S. Food and Nutrition Board recommends that people keep their daily D intake under 2,000 IU.
• Seek sunlight smartly. Some vitamin D experts, like Michael Holick, PhD, MD, professor of medicine, physiology, and biophysics and director of the General Clinical Research Center at Boston University Medical Center, suggest spending just a few minutes in the sun (if you’re north of Atlanta, this will only work in spring and summer months) and exposing your arms for a few minutes for a vitamin D boost. This goes against the Skin Cancer Foundation’s new guidelines, which state that 90 percent of nonmelamona skin cancers are associated with the UV radiation from the sun, a known carcinogen, along with many cases of melanoma.
• Choose sunscreens wisely. Even if you choose to spend just a few unprotected minutes in the sun a week, you should otherwise cover up with medical-device-grade, SPF-30 clothing and hats, such as Solumbra, or a safe sunscreen. Pick sunscreens that use zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as the main ingredients, to avoid chemicals that can disrupt our hormone systems, harm aquatic life, and bleach coral reefs. Also, choose brands that don’t rub into your skin quickly and that leave a bit of a white tint. That means they are less likely to contain nanoparticles that could interfere with cell functioning. Never choose spray-on sunscreen, because it can easily find its way into your lungs, where it doesn’t belong.
• Skip the tanning beds. The tanning industry would like you to believe that cooking in beds and booths is beneficial to your health for vitamin D production, but don’t be fooled. Stick with safer options.
• Be careful with self-tanners. If sun avoidance is leaving you a whiter shade of pale, be aware that self-tanning products can contain dangerous chemicals that have been linked to cancer, breathing problems, or hormone disruption. Check Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database for less-toxic products, or better yet, let your body be the shade it wants to be. You’re beautiful just being you!