Time of Day. The sun's rays vary in intensity throughout the day. In most places, UV rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun is at its highest. If you go outside during that window, the body will produce more vitamin D in less time than if you went out in the morning or late afternoon.
According to the national Institutes of Health, between five and 30 minutes of sun exposure to your unprotected face, arms, legs or back between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. two to three times every week is enough for your body to produce all of the D3 it needs. Sunscreen can block vitamin D production.
Vitamin D, also known as the “sunshine vitamin,” is synthesized in the skin following direct exposure to UVB rays. However, the UV index must be over 3 to make vitamin D, which usually occurs around midday between 10am and 2pm.
In spring and summer, 25 percent of the body (the hands, face, neck and arms) is exposed to the sun, and in these seasons, about 8 to 10 minutes of sun exposure at noon produces the recommended amount of vitamin D.
The best time to soak yourself in the sun to get the maximum vitamin D is between 10 am to 3 pm. At this time, the UVB rays are intense and it is also said that the body is more efficient in making vitamin D at this time.
What About If I'm Wearing Clothes? A common misconception is that you can get vitamin D from the sun through clothing. This is not true, as the only way to trigger the chemical reaction that results in vitamin D production is for sunlight to reach your skin directly.
There's no set time of day that's best to take vitamin D supplements. Some people say taking vitamin D supplements at night is an insomnia risk. There's no research to confirm this, but you might want to take your supplement earlier in the day if you think it's screwing with your sleep.
Vitamin D and sleep: The surprising connection
Early research suggests it is inversely related to melatonin, your sleep hormone. Increasing vitamin D levels may suppress melatonin levels. So, it makes sense that taking it at night could disrupt your sleep.
Therefore, conditions that affect the gut and digestion, like celiac disease, chronic pancreatitis, Crohn's disease, and cystic fibrosis, can reduce vitamin D absorption.
When the sun is at too much of an angle, says Paul Veugelers, a professor of public health at the University of Alberta, UVB rays don't penetrate the atmosphere. “You can sit and enjoy that beautiful 6 o'clock sunset, but the radiation is not sufficient to make vitamin D,” he says.
You need to have some skin exposed, for example, your forearms, hands and lower legs. But you can still make vitamin D even if you sit in the shade. Sitting inside by a sunny window doesn't count because glass filters out the UVB rays – the type of light that is needed to make vitamin D.
So don't think supplementing with vitamin D on its own will fix your health issues (but it will help),” she mentioned. As per Dr Bhavsar, 25-30 minutes of sun exposure in morning {right after sunrise and before 8 am} and evening (at the time of sunset) can do wonders to your health.
If you take too much supplemental or prescription vitamin D, it can lead to vitamin D toxicity. The main complication of this is moderate to severe hypercalcemia, which can cause symptoms like vomiting, increased thirst and frequent urination.
"Adequate levels of magnesium in the body are essential for the absorption and metabolism not only of vitamin D but of calcium as well," Dean states. "Magnesium converts vitamin D into its active form so that it can help calcium absorption.
Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency may include:
Fatigue. Not sleeping well. Bone pain or achiness. Depression or feelings of sadness.
Both forms are well absorbed in the small intestine. Absorption occurs by simple passive diffusion and by a mechanism that involves intestinal membrane carrier proteins [4]. The concurrent presence of fat in the gut enhances vitamin D absorption, but some vitamin D is absorbed even without dietary fat.
If your shadow is shorter than you then you are able to produce vitamin D from sunlight. However, if your shadow is longer than you it is unlikely that your body will be able to produce vitamin D. And if you do not have a shadow then vitamin D production is out of the question!
In summer and spring, with 22% of uncovered skin, 1000 IU vitamin D doses are synthesized in 10-15 min of sun exposure for adults.
"The overwhelming majority are self-collected blood tests including at-home finger prick options like imaware." Everlywell, Drop, and myLAB Box are other brands that offer at-home vitamin D tests. Each relies on a finger prick blood sample.
In general, the two main causes of vitamin D deficiency are: Not getting enough vitamin D in your diet and/or through sunlight. Your body isn't properly absorbing or using vitamin D.
Recent findings: Low vitamin D levels are associated with increased symptoms of depression and anxiety. For this reason, vitamin D screening should be performed in the prevention and treatment planning of these mood disorders.