Vitamin D is essential for us. For this reason, we should fill up on the sun vitamin as often as possible. However, there are some factors that make it difficult to absorb vitamin D.
Our body needs vitamin D for very different processes in our organism. It is important for our bones and teeth, for example, because vitamin D helps us absorb calcium from food. We also need vitamin D for our immune system , for our muscles and for our mental health. Because vitamin D plays an important role in the regulation of the brain messenger substance serotonin and in the utilization of dopamine. All of these messenger substances influence our psychological well-being.
We can only absorb vitamin D with the help of sunlight. We produce 80 to 90 percent of our vitamin D requirements ourselves through the skin that is exposed to UV rays. We cover the remaining 10 to 20 percent through our diet. However, there are some factors that make it difficult to absorb the sun vitamin. We explain in detail what exactly this is about:
Table of Contents
1. Sunscreens prevent vitamin D absorption
In order to protect the skin from premature skin aging and skin cancer, UV protection is always mandatory. However, sunscreen is both a curse and a blessing in this sense. Because the sun protection factor prevents sufficient amounts of UVB radiation, which is necessary for vitamin D formation, from reaching the skin. So that you can still absorb enough vitamin D, you should let the sun shine on your hands, arms and face three times a week – but only long enough to avoid sunburn.
2. The color of your skin affects the recording
Unfortunately, not all people absorb vitamin D equally well. Darker-skinned people take longer to absorb the same amount of vitamin D than fair-skinned people. As a rule of thumb, the more sensitive the skin is to sunlight, the faster it can produce vitamin D on the other hand.
3. Showering directly after sunbathing reduces vitamin D absorption
If your skin has been exposed to the sun, you should wait four to six hours before stepping into the shower. Why? The skin needs up to 48 hours to absorb the newly formed provitamin D from the outer skin layer and to pass it on to the blood. If you cannot or do not want to wait to shower, do not soap yourself from head to toe, but only wash yourself with clear water.
4. Your clothing inhibits the absorption of the sun vitamin
What applies to the sun protection factor in sun creams is also relevant to the UV protection factor for clothing. The more body parts are covered with clothing, the less vitamin D can be absorbed. It should be noted: The denser the garment is woven, the more it protects against UV radiation – and vice versa: the thinner the clothes, the better the formation of the sun vitamin on the skin.
How do I recognize a vitamin D deficiency?
As the Robert Koch Institute reports online, a vitamin D deficiency can have a significant impact on the health of our bones. In the worst case, decalcification and softening of the bones can occur, resulting in bone pain and muscle weakness. Vitamin D deficiency can also cause osteoporosis. Children who lack vitamin D can develop bone growth disorders. Other signs of a vitamin D deficiency are reduced muscle strength and an increased susceptibility to infections. Connections between vitamin D supply and diseases such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular or cancer diseases could be found in observational studies.
