Nevertheless, be careful not to spend too much time in the sun without sunscreen. In these countries, you may need more time to achieve the same results.

Just keep in mind that this duration of exposure does not apply in countries farther away from the equator. In Indian people, an estimated half an hour of midday sun twice a week provides the adequate amount ( 4). If you regularly spend time outdoors, lightly clad and without sunscreen, you may be getting all the vitamin D you need. Specifically, ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation from sunlight triggers the formation of vitamin D3 from the compound 7-dehydrocholesterol in skin ( 2).Ī similar process takes place in plants and mushrooms, where UVB light leads to the formation of vitamin D2 from ergosterol, a compound found in plant oils ( 3). Your skin makes vitamin D3 when it’s exposed to sunlight. Their differences are discussed in detail below.įat-soluble vitamin that exists in two main forms: vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) Since vitamin D is fat-soluble, it is better to choose oil-based supplements or take them with food that contains some fat ( 1).

To prevent deficiency symptoms, make sure to eat vitamin D-rich foods regularly, get some sunlight or take supplements. Luckily, many food manufacturers add it to their products, especially milk, margarine and breakfast cereals. For these reasons, it’s common for people to not get enough. However, it may be difficult to get adequate amounts of this vitamin from your diet alone, as rich natural sources are rare. Good dietary sources include fatty fish, fish oils, egg yolk, butter and liver. However, if you spend most of your time indoors or live at a high latitude, you’ll need to get this vitamin from your diet. Your skin produces vitamin D when it’s exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that promotes the absorption of calcium, regulates bone growth and plays a role in immune function.

Download 50000 iu d2