This is such important information, Sara. Being very fair skinned and having been badly sunburned numerous times in my youth, it took me awhile to embrace the idea of being in the sun without some type of sun protection. And I never tell my dermatologist because she would scold me. In addition to supplements, I try to get some sun on my unprotected skin every day.
It means a lot to know the post was helpful to you, Daria, thank you! I completely understand, I'm very fair-skinned too, and it is complicated. Finding that balance between getting enough sun for vitamin D and protecting our skin isn’t easy, especially with a history of sunburns.
Your approach—carefully getting a bit of unprotected sun along with supplementation—makes a lot of sense. I really appreciate you being part of this conversation.
I’m a patient with a “multiple lupus diagnosis” and it’s not easy for me to get Vitamin D via sunshine.
I’m very sensitive to the UV, my cutaneous lupus goes crazy when I’m exposed and it triggers the SLE and CNS in unpredictable ways. I wear sunscreen with a SPF of 100, long shorts and long sleeves and big wide brimmed hats…year round. We have about 300 days of sun annually, so it’s a challenge.
I consume vitamin D via supplements (like tiny drops of sunshine)…so, although it’s undeniable that vitamin D is essential, it’s a catch-22 for some of us. But I Love the Sun and echo your message!
Thank you so much for sharing this. Lupus is one of those clear examples where producing vitamin D from sun exposure becomes incredibly complicated. In situations like yours, supplements truly play an essential role in maintaining healthy levels, safely.
I admire the way you navigate this challenge with so much awareness and intention. And I absolutely love how you described supplements as “tiny drops of sunshine”, that captures it perfectly. Thank you for adding such an important perspective to this conversation.
Absolutely agree, vitamin D is one of the few deficiencies that’s both easy to test and relatively simple to correct with safe, affordable options. Sometimes the simplest interventions can have the biggest impact. Thanks for highlighting that!
We get so much sun in the summer there's no issue there. Winter is another story, Saskatchewan has some nasty winds and gets very cold. Skin exposure is far too dangerous most days to be out there without covering up. But we use home-rendered lard from pastured pigs and that is supposed to be one of the highest sources of dietary Vitamin D around. And I don't fry at high temp, it doesn't cook things right and makes meat tough. I don't do alot of boiled foods either, though dandelion leaf needs it a bit to take out some of the bitterness. The water makes an excellent tea and the leaves are great with butter and seasonings.
Thank you for sharing your perspective, Tina. And yes, while summer might seem like the solution, that’s not always the case. Here in Spain—often called the “sun country”—most people still have vitamin D deficiencies, even in the summer.
One important reason is that the number of hours when sun exposure is both safe (low UV index) and effective for vitamin D synthesis is actually very limited. We have to be cautious—prolonged exposure during peak UV times increases the risk of skin cancer, but during safer hours, UVB levels may be too low to trigger vitamin D production.
On top of that, most of us are still working indoors. A week of vacation sun exposure just isn’t enough to maintain optimal levels year-round. And as you noted, while food sources like yours are valuable, they’re still relatively limited in vitamin D content.
I truly appreciate conversations like this, it's always a pleasure to read your thoughtful insights.
One doesn't have a choice about timing it for perfect UV exposure when they have to get a yard looked after, or livestock to deal with, etc. Or they work in an outdoor job. Personally, I tan very well on my arms and face, and that's usually all I expose anyway unless we go to the beach or out fishing which isn't often, because we don't have time and energy.
Vitamin D also helps the immune system to be more alert/active/powerful. I take vit D because I had a blood test and it found out I was low on that level. But then again in the UK there's not much sun as in other parts of the world. Good and informative article.
I was low on D for years and had no clue. Love how you break it down. It's clear, grounded, and actually useful.
Thank you Cara, I’m really glad you found the post helpful.
This is such important information, Sara. Being very fair skinned and having been badly sunburned numerous times in my youth, it took me awhile to embrace the idea of being in the sun without some type of sun protection. And I never tell my dermatologist because she would scold me. In addition to supplements, I try to get some sun on my unprotected skin every day.
It means a lot to know the post was helpful to you, Daria, thank you! I completely understand, I'm very fair-skinned too, and it is complicated. Finding that balance between getting enough sun for vitamin D and protecting our skin isn’t easy, especially with a history of sunburns.
Your approach—carefully getting a bit of unprotected sun along with supplementation—makes a lot of sense. I really appreciate you being part of this conversation.
I’m a patient with a “multiple lupus diagnosis” and it’s not easy for me to get Vitamin D via sunshine.
I’m very sensitive to the UV, my cutaneous lupus goes crazy when I’m exposed and it triggers the SLE and CNS in unpredictable ways. I wear sunscreen with a SPF of 100, long shorts and long sleeves and big wide brimmed hats…year round. We have about 300 days of sun annually, so it’s a challenge.
I consume vitamin D via supplements (like tiny drops of sunshine)…so, although it’s undeniable that vitamin D is essential, it’s a catch-22 for some of us. But I Love the Sun and echo your message!
Thank you so much for sharing this. Lupus is one of those clear examples where producing vitamin D from sun exposure becomes incredibly complicated. In situations like yours, supplements truly play an essential role in maintaining healthy levels, safely.
I admire the way you navigate this challenge with so much awareness and intention. And I absolutely love how you described supplements as “tiny drops of sunshine”, that captures it perfectly. Thank you for adding such an important perspective to this conversation.
Easy to test and correct very cheaply and safely.
Absolutely agree, vitamin D is one of the few deficiencies that’s both easy to test and relatively simple to correct with safe, affordable options. Sometimes the simplest interventions can have the biggest impact. Thanks for highlighting that!
We get so much sun in the summer there's no issue there. Winter is another story, Saskatchewan has some nasty winds and gets very cold. Skin exposure is far too dangerous most days to be out there without covering up. But we use home-rendered lard from pastured pigs and that is supposed to be one of the highest sources of dietary Vitamin D around. And I don't fry at high temp, it doesn't cook things right and makes meat tough. I don't do alot of boiled foods either, though dandelion leaf needs it a bit to take out some of the bitterness. The water makes an excellent tea and the leaves are great with butter and seasonings.
Thank you for sharing your perspective, Tina. And yes, while summer might seem like the solution, that’s not always the case. Here in Spain—often called the “sun country”—most people still have vitamin D deficiencies, even in the summer.
One important reason is that the number of hours when sun exposure is both safe (low UV index) and effective for vitamin D synthesis is actually very limited. We have to be cautious—prolonged exposure during peak UV times increases the risk of skin cancer, but during safer hours, UVB levels may be too low to trigger vitamin D production.
On top of that, most of us are still working indoors. A week of vacation sun exposure just isn’t enough to maintain optimal levels year-round. And as you noted, while food sources like yours are valuable, they’re still relatively limited in vitamin D content.
I truly appreciate conversations like this, it's always a pleasure to read your thoughtful insights.
One doesn't have a choice about timing it for perfect UV exposure when they have to get a yard looked after, or livestock to deal with, etc. Or they work in an outdoor job. Personally, I tan very well on my arms and face, and that's usually all I expose anyway unless we go to the beach or out fishing which isn't often, because we don't have time and energy.
Vitamin D also helps the immune system to be more alert/active/powerful. I take vit D because I had a blood test and it found out I was low on that level. But then again in the UK there's not much sun as in other parts of the world. Good and informative article.
This is fantastic! A great resource to share with my patients.