Vitamin D? And here you are thinking that this is a blog about nudism. Well, it is. And vitamin D is an important part of nudism. Bear and bare with me. What does Wikipedia say about vitamin D?
Vitamin D is a group of fat-soluble secosteroids responsible for enhancing intestinal absorption of calcium and phosphate. In humans, the most important compounds in this group are vitamin D3 (also known as cholecalciferol) and vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol).
Okay, not very impressive nor clear. But when we also see this:
Although vitamin D is commonly called a vitamin, it is not actually an essential dietary vitamin in the strict sense, as it can be synthesized in adequate amounts by most mammals exposed to sunlight.
then things suddenly look different. Sunlight. A vitamin you get through sunlight? Wow, that’s easy “food” then! But – take notice. Exposed to sunlight doesn’t mean that your clothes take care of it. It’s the skin that picks up the sunlight and transforms that into vitamin D. Hey, do you see a link to nudism? The more skin is exposed to the sun, the more vitamin D you pick up without doing anything else than being out in the sun!
As you see, there’s not much to taking in vitamins this way. It’s healthy, pleasurable and you can read something interesting too.
You can, of course, also actively go about and enjoy the sunshine in another way.
An interesting observation in Medical News Today is: “People who are exposed to normal quantities of sunlight do not need vitamin D supplements because sunlight promotes sufficient vitamin D synthesis in the skin.” Again, this does require that the skin is exposed to take in the sunlight. The same web page also notes: “Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine found that higher vitamin D levels in healthy individuals have a significant impact on the genes that are involved in several biologic pathways associated with illnesses, including cancer, autoimmune disease, cardiovascular disease and infectious diseases.”
And since we’re talking sunshine: did you know that sunscreen is one of the reasons that people get too little vitamin D even when they’re out in the sun? Sunscreen prevents the skin to take in the sunlight because of the UV blockers that it contains. You can go out in the sun without sunscreen, but only if you’re sensible about it.
- Stay inside on the hot part of the day. It’s too warm to do anything anyway, so take a nap or read something.
- Stay out of the sun during the noon hours when the sun is hottest. Also a parasol won’t help, UV goes through that.
- Get used to the sun in smaller doses. Don’t go from 0 to 60 in no time, give your skin time to start absorbing UV without getting burnt.
Sunburn is the reason for most skin cancers. Skin cancer happens least with people who have outside jobs; their skin is used to sunlight and has a resistance already. When you’re pale (and I look at myself too), take care. Don’t over do it. And then you won’t need sunscreen. If you need information from another place, have a look at Realfoodforager – why I stopped using sunscreen. Enjoy the sun, and show your skin. It’s beautiful.
Good and sensible!