Considering that 90% of vitamin D is obtained through the sun, can you stop taking vitamin D supplements in summer? Well the answer is yes, as long as you spend some time outdoors (but not the same all year long).
It depends on the season
- In autumn and winter, to get enough vitamin D it is necessary to be in the sun for many more minutes than in spring and summer. According to Mª Antonia Serrano Jareño, member of the Solar Radiation Group of the Polytechnic University of Valencia, it takes 130 minutes in winter (with exposed face, hands and neck) and 30 minutes in autumn.
- In spring and summer, however, as Dr. Yolanda Gilaberte, vice president of the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, points out, a shorter exposure is enough: in general, 10-15 minutes, on arms and face, or hands, arms and legs, 2-3 times a week, between 12 and 16 hours.
So if you usually spend time outdoors, you can stop taking the supplements. Even so, it must be taken into account that with age the ability to synthesize vitamin D is lost and that dark skin needs more exposure, so in those cases it is always advisable to consult a doctor.
What happens if I put on sunscreen?
Although in theory sunscreens can almost completely block the production of pre-vitamin D, in practice this does not happen largely because almost no one applies them in the right amount and at the right intervals.
And when should you take vitamin D?
We get most of our vitamin D from the sun. But despite the fact that Spain is a very sunny country, a large part of the population does not get the recommended amount. If you want to know if this is the case, take into account the signs to detect if you lack vitamin D, and if so, consult your doctor.
