{"id":1932,"date":"2021-06-16T13:14:18","date_gmt":"2021-06-16T20:14:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.adamaminerals.com\/?p=1932"},"modified":"2021-06-29T13:31:27","modified_gmt":"2021-06-29T20:31:27","slug":"can-you-get-vitamin-d-using-spf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.adamaminerals.com\/?p=1932","title":{"rendered":"Can You Get Vitamin D Using SPF?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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The sunshine vitamin, also known as vitamin D, is an essential nutrient that our bodies need. When defining vitamin D, experts explain it as a hormone rather than an actual vitamin. Note that we create this vitamin when our skin is exposed to sunlight, specifically the UVB rays. Vitamin D synthesis occurs when these rays interact with cholesterol in the body.<\/p>

Read on, we will examine why our bodies need this sunshine vitamin and why you should protect yourself from vitamin D deficiency.<\/p>

Do You Need Vitamin D?<\/h2>

Yes, we all need this vitamin. As it boosts immunity, it helps the body to fight against common infections and illnesses. It is also needed for brain development and muscle function. Now, we\u2019ve talked about vitamin D synthesis<\/a>. However, note that the process isn\u2019t that simple. The vitamin is first converted into 25 (OH)D and then calcitriol, which helps our body to remain healthy and strong.<\/p>

What Happens If I Do not Get Enough Vitamin D?<\/h2>

Several factors can prevent you from getting enough of vitamin. These include living in a polluted area or that with tall buildings that block sunlight. Also, spending a lot of your time indoors will not allow you to get the right dosage of this vitamin.<\/p>

Vitamin D deficiency<\/a> can cause several health conditions like fatigue, pains, stress fractures, muscle aches, and feeling sick.<\/p>

Does SPF Affect Vitamin D Levels?<\/h2>

Well, sunscreen is designed to protect us from the sun by blocking its UV rays from reaching our skin. Now, if we go with this theory, then SPF can hinder vitamin D production. But several studies like Young and Neale<\/a> have proved that sunscreen doesn\u2019t cause vitamin D deficiency. Plus, many sources, such as the Skin Cancer Foundation<\/a> say that exposing your skin to the sun puts you at a greater risk of skin cancer, which is worse than vitamin D deficiency. Therefore, protecting your skin should come first before you worry about getting enough vitamin D. So, always ensure that you\u2019ve applied your sunblock product every day.<\/p>

How Else Can You Acquire Vitamin D Then?<\/h2>

Well, apart from UV exposure, there are several other ways to get enough vitamin D. Food sources<\/a> like tuna, salmon, mushrooms, egg yolks, cheese, and fortified tofu are excellent vitamin D sources. Also, other common foods like orange juice and milk are fortified with vitamin D.<\/p>

If you can still drink cod liver, you can get double the daily recommend a dosage of vitamin D. However, if this isn\u2019t your cup of tea, and you want to try other alternative ways of getting vitamin D other than from food sources, take vitamin D supplements. Although note that people are always advised to get it from food and use supplements as reinforcements. It\u2019s also important that you speak to your doctor first before taking any supplement.<\/p>

Vitamin D Benefits and Deficiency Risks<\/h2>

We need calcium to develop strong bones. Since vitamin D helps control calcium levels, it\u2019ll help better our bone health. It\u2019s why muscle aches, weakness, and bone pain are common symptoms for those with vitamin D deficiency. Plus, when vitamin D levels are too low, it reduces calcium absorption, which causes slower growth, weakened bone structure, and bone softening. These put one at risk of osteoporosis, fractures, and skeletal deformities.<\/p>

There\u2019s no evidence proving that using sunscreen every day leads to vitamin D deficiency. Most people using SPF have enough levels of this vitamin. And recently, there have been other studies suggesting other benefits of vitamin D. Some research<\/a> says that it can help lower heart disease, prevent type 1 diabetes, and reduce cancer deaths. Therefore, according to these studies, those with enough vitamin D levels have lower chances of dying of these diseases. However, note that these are observational studies. Therefore, we can\u2019t use them for medical recommendations.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Why Protect Yourself from the Sun?<\/h2>

Sunscreen protection carries several benefits. Using SPF 15, 30, and 50 is said to reduce a person\u2019s risk of developing melanoma by 50%, squamous cell carcinoma by 40%, and skin aging prematurely by 24%.<\/a><\/p>

On the molecular level, the UV rays from the sun have been proven to damage our skin\u2019s cellular DNA. This leads to mutations, which puts us a risk of developing skin cancer. UV from the sun is said to cause 90% of nonmelanoma cancer of the skin and 86% melanomas<\/a>. As if it is not enough, these rays can also harm our eyes, causing cataracts, eyelids, and ocular skin cancers such as melanomas.<\/p>

The World Health Organization<\/a> advises everyone to protect themselves from sun exposure. Doing this reduces your risks to several conditions that could severely damage your skin and worse, kill you. So make sure that you are always wearing sunscreen and take other preventive measures to protect yourself from the sun.<\/p>

What Is a Healthy Vitamin D Level? \u00a0<\/h2>

You can test your vitamin D in a medical lab where your doctor will draw your blood. Check for these levels to know whether you have enough of this vitamin;<\/p>