Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin in a family of compounds that includes vitamins D1, D2, and D3.

Vitamin D is a unique vitamin that most people don’t get enough of. This vitamin is actually a hormone that can be generated in the skin upon ultraviolet light exposure, ingested through vitamin D rich foods or supplementation.

In Australia the main source of vitamin D is from exposure to sunlight, it is made in the body from cholesterol in your skin when it’s exposed to the sun. That’s why getting enough sunlight is very important for maintaining optimal vitamin D levels.

Limited sun exposure is needed to maintain adequate levels of vitamin D. 

Exposure times are based on the season, location within Australia, the amount of skin exposed, along with skin type.  Sun exposure for vitamin D should be balanced with sensible skin protection outside of these time frames such as wearing a natural sun cream, covering skin with appropriate clothing, and wearing a hat. It’s also important to note, that it is completely fine to wear a hat to protect your face while exposing other parts of your body when trying to get your vitamin D dose. 

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While sunlight is great for vitamin D production, too much can be dangerous.

Excess sun exposure can lead to

• Sunburns: The most common harmful effect of too much sunlight. 
• Eye damage: Long-term exposure to UV light can damage the retina.
• Aging skin: Spending too long in the sun can cause your skin to age faster. 
• Skin changes: Freckles, moles and other skin changes can be a side effect of excess sunlight exposure.
• Heat stroke: or sunstroke, this is a condition in which the body’s core temperature may rise due to too much heat or sun exposure.
• Skin cancer: Too much UV light is a major cause of skin cancers.

Skin colour may affect vitamin D production

The colour of your skin is determined by a pigment called melanin. People with darker skin typically have more melanin than people with lighter skin. 

Melanin helps protect the skin against damage from excess sunlight. It acts as a natural sunscreen and absorbs the sun’s UV rays to defend against sunburn and skin cancers.

However, this means darker-skinned people need to spend longer in the sun than lighter-skinned people to produce the same amount of vitamin D. This is a major reason why darker-skinned people have a higher risk of deficiency.

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Function 

Vitamin D is essential for immune functions, it instructs the cells in your gut to absorb calcium and phosphorus, these minerals are essential for maintaining healthy bones and teeth, along with brain health, and for regulating inflammation.

Deficiency

In Australia over 30% of adults have a mild, moderate, or severe deficiency of vitamin D. Most people will require 5.0µg/day, unless you are over 50, where you will need to increase your daily intake to 10.0 µg /day. (Daily KIN, recommends these only as a guideline, and you should always seek advice from your practitioner).

Low levels of Vitamin D have been linked to health conditions, including:

• Osteoporosis
• Joint pain
• Cancer
• Depression
• Fractures and breaks
• Muscle weakness

There are some foods, which naturally contain vitamin D, yet these would need to be consumed daily to get enough of the vitamin. These are generally animal proteins, fruit and vegetables are not great sources of vitamin D. 

If you do not get enough sunlight, it’s often recommended to take a supplement of vitamin D.

Good sources

• Cod liver oil
• Swordfish
• Salmon
• Canned tuna
• Oysters
• Beef liver
• Egg yolks
• Pasture raised pork
• Mushrooms

Supplements

For people with low vitamin D levels a supplement may be required as advised by your practitioner. Low vitamin D levels can be easily corrected but may take several months to improve. Most vitamin D supplements are vitamin ‘D3’ and the standard dose is in International Units (IU). 

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“THE SUNSHINE VITAMIN”

Recommended sun exposure 

Vitamin D levels change throughout the year. Your levels are highest in late summer and lowest at the end of winter.                                                               

Your guide to the “sunshine vitamin” based on sun exposure in Australia for optimal vitamin D levels.

Summer 

Latitude	Time of day	Minutes	Frequency
Northern Australia, north of Brisbane	10am -3pm	6-10 mins	4 x per week
Mid Australia, between Sydney and Brisbane	10am – 3pm	6-20 mins	4 x per week
Southern Australia, between Sydney, Perth to South Australia	10am – 3pm	11-20 mins	4 x per week
Tasmania	Closer to noon	10 mins	4 x per week

Winter sun exposure

Latitude	Time of day	Minutes	Frequency
Northern Australia, north of Brisbane	10am -3pm	5-10 mins	4 x per week
Mid Australia, between Sydney and Brisbane	midday	30-60 mins	4 x per week
Southern Australia, between Sydney, Perth to South Australia	10am – 3pm	30-60mins	4 x per week
Tasmania	Closer to noon	1 hour or more	4 x per week

bottom line  

Regular sun exposure is the most natural way to get enough vitamin D.

To maintain healthy blood levels, aim to get between 6 and 15 minutes of midday sunlight, several times per week. People with darker skin may need a little more than this. Your exposure time should depend on how sensitive your skin is to sunlight. Practice sun safe routines. 

Factors that can affect your ability to make vitamin D from sunlight include the time of day you’re exposing yourself, your skin colour, do you live in a cold climate or perhaps you spend a lot of time indoors or are a vegetarian who has limited sun exposure, if so you may need to take a vitamin D supplement or eat more vitamin-D-rich foods. 

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The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinion of the author, which has been researched through a variety of integrated health modalities.

The information on this website is not intended to replace the relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. The articles are intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience which has come from a variety of health practitioners in their individual fields.

Kin daily, encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your personal health journey with the guidance of a qualified health care practitioner.