Vitamin D is essential for strong bones and a healthy immune system. While a limited amount of vitamin D can be obtained from exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation, the health risks of UV exposure — including skin cancer — are great. Instead, The Skin Cancer Foundation suggests you get your recommended daily 600 IU (international units, or 800 IU for people ages 70 and older) of vitamin D a day from food sources like oily fish, fortified dairy products and cereals, and supplements. Read on to learn more about the best way to get your vitamin D.
The Skin Cancer Foundation Statement on Obtaining Adequate Vitamin D
Vitamin D is essential for strong bones and a healthy immune system. A recent review of 1,000 studies by the Institute of Medicine in Washington, DC, found that the vast majority of Americans are taking in enough vitamin D, and that there is no sound evidence vitamin D insufficiency is leading to a wave of cancers, heart disease, diabetes, and other conditions.
Learn More about Vitamin D
The D Dilemma
Vitamin D is important for immune system health, and we get it from the sun. That's why some scientists argue that protecting yourself from UV rays is detrimental to your health. Most dermatologists, …
Make Vitamin D, Not UV, a Priority
Sometimes the cure can be worse than the condition. For thousands of vitamin D-deficient people in the U.S., can obtaining this so-called "sunshine vitamin" actually endanger health?
Vitamin D has …
Oily Fish: Your Route to Vitamin D
Because vitamin D is vital to good health, many foods have been enriched with the vitamin. However, it is naturally present in very few foods, and vitamin D supplements may be necessary to ensure …