Vitamin D and skin
These late summer days are so fine! They make me truly happy. And something good happens when those rays of sun are on my skin. If you follow my blog you’ll know that the sun is responsible for the production of vitamin D in your skin. And that is super because this vitamin, or hormone to be more precise, has a positive effect on your immune system. During the summer months you usually have enough vitamin D in your body. In the winter, however, the supply runs out because of less sunlight. So, what can you do to have enough ‘D’?
This vitamin and acne
Vitamin D not only boosts your immune system but also potentially has an impact on your skin. You may notice that you suffer more from spots in winter? Vitamin D could have a role in this. An Egyptian study discovered that people with acne often had a lack of this vitamin compared to people without this skin complaint. A vitamin D supplement then appears to be able to help. After taking the vitamin for 3 months the worst of the acne subsided significantly in many of the test subjects.
Sun cream and the production of vitamin D
Can the skin still produce vitamin D if the sun is blocked out by a thick layer of sun cream? In theory such a layer of SPF would cause a reduction in the production of vitamin D in the skin. Research suggests, however, that normal use of sun cream has no bearing on a deficiency in vitamin D. In fact, many people don’t apply enough sun cream and there’s always a bit they forget. If you don’t go outside very much, or if the sun shines less, such as in winter, then a deficiency can still occur.
How I do it
To be sure I have enough vitamin D in my body, apart from sunlight, I get this vitamin by way of food and a supplement. It is important though, before you get started, to know whether a supplement is really necessary. You can, for instance, get tested at the Doctor’s surgery. This can tell if you have a vitamin D deficiency or if you have a sufficient level of the vitamin. Or perhaps you can slightly improve the level of vitamin D. If you know this you can then decide whether to get this vitamin from food or take a supplement.
Foods containing vitamin D
The table below shows you how much vitamin D you need to have daily and which foods contain a high concentration of this vitamin. And yes indeed, there is only fish listed in the table because fish is rich in vitamin D. More specifically, other foods contain barely any of this vitamin naturally.
| Food | VVitamin D | % of the recommended daily amount (10 micrograms/day)* |
| 1 portion of trout (100 grams) | 9.4 micrograms | 94% |
| 1 portion of salmon (100 grams) | 4.6 micrograms | 46% |
| 1 herring (65 grams) | 4 micrograms | 40% |
| 1 portion of mackerel (40 grams) | 3.3 micrograms | 33% |
*It is recommended that people over the age of 70 consume at least 20 micrograms of vitamin D.
Tips for a good vitamin D supplement
Would you rather not eat fish? Or do you have a significant deficiency? In this case a supplement can offer the solution. Choose a supplement where the vitamin D is dissolved in oil, in this way your body will absorb the vitamin more readily. Make sure the dose of vitamin D is not too high in the supplement. More is not always better. 10 to 20 micrograms of vitamin D is usually enough. My last tip is to store the product in the fridge to retain its quality.