It’s basic health knowledge that we get most of our vitamin D requirements from the sun, so it’s not surprising that fair-skinned people with a tendency to sunburn often have lower levels. However, new research suggests that pale folks may not produce sufficient vitamin D even with plenty of sun exposure.
Picture from BellaSugar
BBC News reports that a study of 1200 people by Cancer Research UK found that 730 of 1200 people checked had “lower than optimal” vitamin D levels, and that pale, freckled skin was a common factor in many of those cases. That seemed to sometimes happen even when there was regular sun exposure.
The research isn’t conclusive, so dosing up on massive amounts of Vitamin D sounds unwise (whether via a supplement or by excessive tanning). However, as the BBC article points out, a small supplemental dose (10 micrograms a day) isn’t considered harmful, and might be wise if you’re fair-skinned and already taking sensible precautions to avoid the sun for skin cancer-related reasons.
Fair-skinned people may need extra vitamin D [BBC News]
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