Vitamin D: Here Comes the Sun

“Little darling, it’s been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it’s been here
Here comes the Sun and I say – It’s all right
Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces
Little darling, it seems like years since it’s been here
Here comes the Sun
Here comes the Sun and I say – It’s all right”
– George Harrison

Today is officially the first day of summer. ☀️🎉

It’s time to get up, get out, and have some fun! Swim. Hike. Bike. Garden. Fish. Camp. BBQ. Go to the beach, the mountains, the park, the pool, the river. See a concert. Run a race. Walk the dog. Have a picnic. Fly a kite. Paddle a canoe. Ride a ferris wheel. Take a road trip. Learn to surf. Feed the ducks. Run through the sprinklers. Nap in a hammock.

The sun makes us happy, literally. Read on …

“I’m walking on sunshine, woooah
And don’t it feel good!”
– Katrina and the Waves

Today’s modern lifestyle is screen-based, sedentary, and isolated. So, it isn’t surprising that according to the EPA, the average American spends 93% of his/her time indoors and only 7% of his/her time outdoors. Getting outside and enjoying natural sunlight is important for many health reasons. One of the most important reasons is that the sun’s energy turns a chemical in your skin into vitamin D₃, which is carried to your liver and then your kidneys to transform it to active vitamin D.

How much Vitamin D do you need every day?

Recent studies indicate that we need more vitamin D than previously thought.

• infants (0–12 months): 10 mcg (400 IU)
• children and teens: 15 mcg (600 IU)
• adults aged 18–70: 15 mcg (600 IU)
• adults over age 70: 20 mcg (800 IU)

“Sun is shining, the weather is sweet, yeah
Make you wanna move your dancing feet now”
– Bob Marley

Food sources with Vitamin D

• salmon (20 mcg)
• tuna (2 mcg)
• beef liver (2 mcg)
• egg yolk (1 mcg)

It can be hard to get enough vitamin D each day through sun exposure and food alone, so taking vitamin D supplements can help.