The National Osteoporosis Society has today launched their Sunlight campaign designed to encourage us to get enough sun to top up our Vitamin D levels.
In their surveys, some common myths came out so I thought it might be worth sharing them.
Many people said they got enough Vitamin D from their food.
- Only about 10% of our vitamin D comes from food.
Others said they knew sunshine was vital to get Vitamin D but that they wear sunscreen.
- You can’t increase Vitamin D with sunscreen on so the advice is to get out in the sun with bare skin for a few minutes several times in the day to boost levels but avoid burning.
- If your shadow is shorter than you, the sun is at the right angle to produce vitamin D.
- If your skin starts to burn, your body will begin to deplete the vitamin D that it has produced so safe sun is always best.
I’m fine: I sit in my conservatory for hours, or by the window.
- No, you’re not. Your body cannot produce vitamin D thorough windows – you need to be outside.
We never get any sun in the UK anyway!
- Even on cloudy summer days, we can still produce vitamin D but it can take a little longer.