Vitamin D: the sun vitamin.

The sun is an important source of Vitamin D. Our bodies make Vitamin D when sunlight touches our bare skin. However, it has been proved that too much exposure to direct sunlight increases the risk of skin cancer, so wearing a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher is important for reducing the risk of skin cancer and preventing premature aging of the skin. Despite the harmful effect of too much sun, it has also been proven that at least 10-15 minutes of sunlight per day, depending on your skin sensitivity, is actually good for you.

But how much is too much?

Here is the answer, according to The Center for Science For the Public Interest:

Exposing non-sunscreened hands, face and arms to the sun for about ten to fifteen minutes (depending on skin sensitivity to sunburning, latitude and time of day) two to three times a week between 8 am and 4 pm gives the body it's Vitamin D requirement.

In addition to allowing yourself some exposure to the sun, here are more recommendations from The Center For Science in the Public Interest for Daily Health involving Vitamin D and Calcium:

• Calcium: 1,000 mg per day for ages 19-50; 1,200 mg per day if you are over age 50.
• Vitamin D: If you are 70 or younger, get
100% of the daily Value (400IU) for Vitamin D from a multivitamin, other supplements or from 4 glasses of milk per day.
• If you are over 70, get a total of 600 IU of Vitamin D per day.
• Make sure that you are not getting more than 1,000 IU of Vitamin D per day from all supplements and food. Some calcium supplements contain Vitamin D, so check labels carefully.

The lack of Vitamin D may contribute to chronic fatigue and depression.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a mood disorder caused by the lack of light in winter, is a specific type of major depression. It can appear as the onset of major depression in the fall (September through November) and the symptoms abate in late winter to early spring (March through May). Also, the frequency of SAD can vary depending on the amount of sun in relation to the geographic location.

The benefits of Vitamin D

Vitamin D is critical to the proper formation of the skeletal structure. Its purpose is to maintain blood levels of calcium in the correct, normal range and to tell the body to absorb more calcium from food as needed.

Osteoporosis is strongly associated with low Vitamin D. Maintaining normal storage levels of Vitamin D in your body helps keep bones strong and may help prevent osteoporosis in elderly, non-ambulatory individuals and post-menopausal women.

Food sources of Vitamin D include: Milk, which is fortified with
Vitamin D. However, it is important to know that dairy products such as cheese, yogurt and ice cream do not contain Vitamin D.

Other food sources of Vitamin D include:Milk is fortified with

Cod Liver Oil
Lard (Pork Fat)
Atlantic Herring (Pickled)
Eastern Oysters (Steamed)
Catfish (Steamed/Poached)
Skinless Sardines (Water Packed)
Mackerel (Canned/Drained)
Smoked Chinook Salmon
Sturgeon Roe
Shrimp (Canned/Drained)
Egg Yolk (Fresh)
(One yolk contains about 24 IU)
Butter
Lamb Liver (Braised)
Beef Tallow
Pork Liver (Braised)
Beef Liver (Fried)
Beef Tripe (Raw)
Beef Kidney (Simmered)
Chicken Livers (Simmered)
Small Clams (Steamed/Cooked Moist)
Blue Crab (Steamed)
Crayfish/Crawdads (Steamed)
Northern Lobster (Steamed)