Pill or sun? This is how you get your vitamin D supply
People have different attitudes about how they get nutrients. Some prefer to eat mostly natural products. You put together an individual nutrient program for this. In order to be able to do this, you need to be well informed. Otherwise you cannot weigh the possible consequences. This is the case with all nutrients, including vitamin D. And one of the natural sources is the sun.
In principle, it is possible that you only get enough of the vitamin through meals and sun exposure. But especially in Europe there are often not many foods rich in vitamin D on the menu. We spend a lot of the time inside. Most health authorities therefore recommend taking the nutrient as a dietary supplement.
Vitamin D: nutrient from the sun
Vitamin D can be bought as pills or drops in different dosages. The dose is given in so-called International Units (IE or IU in English). The Federal Office of Public Health (BAG) recommends a daily intake of 1000 IU for adults, 600 IU for children older than one year and 400 IU for children under one. A healthy vitamin D level and thus possible supplementation is also very important for children.
Here are some things to keep in mind:
- If you are sensitive to UV radiation react, it certainly makes sense to take vitamin D as a dietary supplement. You shouldn't also put yourself at risk from UV radiation.
- If you only want to resort to solar radiation, make sure that you do so at times with less intense UV radiation. You are less likely to get burned in the morning or later in the afternoon. The more skin is exposed to the sun, the more of this important vitamin your body can produce.
- The BAG has also given information on how long you have to stay in the sun, to meet your daily needs.
- People with darker skin generally generate less vitamin D from sun exposure.
- You can also overdose on the vitamin. So follow the recommendations of the health authorities or your doctor.
- You cannot overdose yourself with vitamin D through solar radiation. When the body has had enough, it just stops producing.
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