Dust off the bottle of sunscreen that has been pushed back in your bathroom cupboard – summer is here! However, as sunscreen is a very effective barrier, there are some benefits that we may be blocking out too.

The sun’s ability to charge our bodies with vitamin D is extremely important to maintaining health and relieving a host of medical conditions. There is increasing evidence to suggest that too little vitamin D may trigger certain conditions such as, rheumatoid arthritis, brittle bones, heart disease and certain cancers.

The main source of vitamin D for most Australians is through exposure to sunlight. But how much sunlight is enough? It is important to strike a balance between having enough sun exposure to maintaining adequate vitamin D production while minimising the risk of skin cancer. However, it is almost impossible to specify the exact amount of sunlight exposure a person would need to obtain adequate vitamin D.  Factors such as a person’s age, skin colour, the location they are in, the season, latitude and the time of day, can all affect vitamin D absorption. Below are some tips for adequate vitamin D absorption whilst still remaining ‘sun smart’ this summer.

Tips for adequate vitamin D absorption

• Vitamin D is produced by your skin in response to UV radiation from sunlight.  Your body cannot create vitamin D behind glass (i.e. windows); you must be in direct sunlight.
• Too much sun exposure causes free radical damage leading to wrinkles and cancer cell growth.  You should never let your skin get anything more than the slightest pink tint.  Use your past experiences to gauge your UV sensitivity.
• For Melbournians, it has been recommended to expose your face, hands and arms anytime between 10am and 3pm for about 15 minutes (October-March) and 21 min – 1 hour (April-September).  These levels have been based for a fair-skinned adult thus for people with darker skin the time required may be longer.
• If you know you are going to spend excessive time in the sun, ensure that you are ‘sun smart’. Wear a hat, sunglasses, protective clothing and seek shade.  Natural based sunscreens and sunscreens which contain zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are powerful in protecting your skin from the damaging effects of too much sun. Try products, such as Avene Very High Protection SPF30+ Sunscreen Cream, Hamilton Sensitive Sunscreen or Invisible Zinc.
• Vitamin D can be purchased in supplement form for people that are found to be vitamin D deficient or are at risk of deficiency.  The best way to gauge how much vitamin D you should be taking is to get a blood test done.  Your Doctor may recommend for you to take a supplement such as Ostelin or Bioceuticals D3 Drops Forte.

Only a few foods contain significant amounts of vitamin D. The richest sources are fatty fish (e.g. sardines, salmon, herring and mackerel), red meat, liver, milk, eggs, mushrooms and fortified foods such as margarine.