Is there any good sun for me? Do I need vitamin D?

As the saying goes, "an apple a day keeps the doctor away"; the same can be said of the sun ...: "a little sun a day keeps rickets away".

Vitamin D is important to our bodies in many ways, including preventing rickets (soft and brittle bones) in children. One way to get vitamin D is from the sun. Our body produces vitamin D when the skin is directly exposed to the sun, and most people can get some of their vitamin D needs this way.

No one knows for sure how long we need in the sun for our skin to produce enough vitamin D, but we do know for sure that too much sun can cause skin. Cancer. The following tips will help you get enough sun to make vitamin D without increasing your risk of skin cancer:

• If you are fair skinned, you only need 5 minutes of summer sun at midday in shorts and a shirt without sunscreen to do enough.
• You will need more or more outdoor skin exposure if your skin is darker.
• Being physically active outdoors helps you make more vitamin D than just lounging in the sun.
• Skin aging is not so good at producing vitamin D. If you are over 50 years old or have had previous skin cancers, it is best to stay out of the sun, apply sunscreen, and talk to your doctor about taking supplements. vitamin D.