The Benefits of Some Bright and Sunny Days
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): The Good Men Project
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/07/02
Low levels of vitamin D can lead to various health problems to someone, especially if they are of advanced age. The ability of the skin to produce vitamin D begins to decrease with age. The skin becomes less and less efficient at the production of vitamin D, which is gradual and so happens over time.
As the Mayo Clinic notes about the problems of insufficient Sun exposure or vitamin d production, there is the issue of the deficiency. What are the problems that arise in general health without the sufficient amounts of vitamin D needed for optimal health?
Vitamin D deficiency can lead to problems with insulin production and immune function in addition to the as yet unknown ways in which this helps with the reduction of various chronic diseases and cancer. With low levels, your bones can become brittle and thin, even misshapen.
The article states, “Although the amount of vitamin D adults get from their diets is often less than what’s recommended, exposure to Sunlight can make up for the difference. For most adults, vitamin D deficiency is not a concern. However, some groups — particularly people who are obese, who have dark skin and who are older than age 65 — may have lower levels of vitamin D due to their diets, little Sun exposure or other factors.”
You can take supplements. However, as per usual with health, the best option for the maintenance of a healthy diet is nature. I do not mean au natural or the fame and fortune garnered by charlatans and food fad folks. I mean a well-balanced diet reflects the same with Sun exposure. It is about the proper amount of intake.
Some Sun exposure is the key to a happy and healthy life. Too much can harm your health, though, which we will cover in a moment.
But first, “The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for adults is 600 international units (IU) of vitamin D a day. That goes up to 800 IU a day for those older than age 70. To meet this level, choose foods that are rich in vitamin D. For example, choose fatty fish, such as salmon, trout, tuna and halibut, which offer higher amounts of vitamin D, or fortified foods, such as milk and yogurt,” the report explained.
Some of these, I did not even know about. There are some issues with the toxicity of vitamin D too.
The condition is known as hypervitaminosis D. It is rare. However, it would be instructive to cover a bit of time on it. Because it can be hazardous to personal health in the long-term if one has it. It can produce excess amounts of vitamin D in your body.
“Vitamin D toxicity is usually caused by megadoses of vitamin D supplements — not by diet or Sun exposure. That’s because your body regulates the amount of vitamin D produced by Sun exposure, and even fortified foods don’t contain large amounts of vitamin D,” the article explained.
With hypercalcemia or a buildup of calcium in the blood, the vitamin D toxicity can cause a variety of consequences. Some of these include frequent urination, nausea, vomiting, and weakness. Indeed, if these problems continue, you can develop bone pain and kidney problems with kidney stones. Some treatments would include the restriction on the intake of vitamin D and dietary calcium – sources mentioned above.
The article continued, “Taking 60,000 international units (IU) a day of vitamin D for several months has been shown to cause toxicity. This level is many times higher than the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for most adults of 600 IU of vitamin D a day. Doses higher than the RDA are sometimes used to treat medical problems such as vitamin D deficiency, but these are given only under the care of a doctor for a specified time frame. Blood levels should be monitored while someone is taking high doses of vitamin D.”
In each case listed here, the main message is to be in touch with both your body but also your medical professional regarding supplementation and the potential health pitfalls of the Sun in this case
Also, if you are a normal person and have sensitive skin or are concerned about skin protection from Sun damage – you should be, then you should bear in mind the need for protection from it. Sun damage is permanent.
With the summer with us now, for most of us, though as a Canadian the timing was a little bit delayed (!), the importance of being smart about exposure to the Sun cannot be underestimated. Skin cancer risk is increased proportionally to sun exposure as sun exposure causes sun damage. Remember: the Sun is a nuclear furnace.
“In this Mayo Clinic Minute, Dr. Dawn Davis, a Mayo Clinic dermatologist, has tips to keep your skin safe and healthy in the Sun,” the clinic stated, “It is spring break time, and many people are headed to warmer climates to get much-needed R & R and some Sun, which means you could get sunburned. Sunburns can be painful, and they can increase your risk of skin cancer. So it’s important to slather on the sunscreen and expose your skin to the Sun gradually. But, with all the different products out there, how do you know what number Sun protection factor (SPF) to use — 15, 30 or 50-plus? Dr. Davis has recommendations.”
If some Sun exposure is coming your way, then you should be wearing some sunscreen as you. The Sun can be toxic if more than 15 minutes or so. It depends on the level of melanin in your skin, but it can be an issue regardless of ethnic background and skin tone – as skin is simply a variety of barrier of the sun and a producer of vitamin D.
But do not sweat it! A little Sun, and if a little more then a little sunscreen, then the Summer and Spring Sun are yours to soak up!
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In-Sight Publishing by Scott Douglas Jacobsen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Based on a work at www.in-sightpublishing.com.
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