How effective is being out in the sun for vitamin D. Is it as good as D3?
And even then, not all the year.
Have read/heard that everyone living north of Atlanta (I think that was the city) needs to supplement D3. If you live at the equator, you prolly get enough. The MD/scientist was basically saying that flu season is just lack of Vit D season.
How effective is being out in the sun for vitamin D. Is it as good as D3?
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It depends on the season, where you live, what you’re wearing, how long your exposure is and if you’re wearing sun screen. The D-minder app on a device is very helpful in calculating your D intake for every exposure. Natural is best but impossible to get enough of in some seasons and places, so supplements are recommended. Experts on the subject suggest doses that are higher than the RDA. Since big pharma makes more money from sick people than healthy people, it’s in the best interests of the FDA and pharma to low-ball the RDA.
Best way to find out is to have your D levels tested next time you get labs done. You have to demand the doctor adds it to the test request, and then double-check that it was added before you leave. Optimal levels of D are 60-80. I live in Arizona and am in the sun a lot (we get over 300 days of full sun a year) and the first time I was tested, I was at 25. A lot of factors could be involved — either I am not in the sun as much as I think, or I’m always wearing long-sleeve shirts and put screens on my side windows in the car, or I’m wearing sunscreen. All can affect D levels.