T.J. Samson | Destination Health | June 2021

The first thing to know about vitamin D is that it isn’t really a vitamin. It’s a hormone made by your kidneys. The second thing to know about it is that it helps keep your bones strong by boost- ing your body’s ability to absorb calcium, the mineral that makes up bones. How do you get vitamin D? Your body makes vitamin D in a chemical reaction that happens when sunlight hits your skin. That’s why it’s sometimes called the sun- shine vitamin. You also get vitamin D naturally from a few foods, like fatty fish. These include Get the facts about vitamin D Your body needs it for a variety of reasons Use sunscreen. Look for a sunscreen with broad-spectrum—UVA and UVB—protection. Apply it to all areas of your body that aren’t pro- tected by clothing. Choose a sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 30. Reap- ply sunscreen every two hours and after swim- ming or sweating. Be extra careful near water, sand or snow. All three of these reflect sunlight and can raise your risk for sunburn. Avoid tanning beds. Their UV light is not safer than the sun. Check your skin regularly for potential sun damage. See your primary care provider if you notice any new or suspicious spots. Or if any spots are changing, itching or bleeding. Know if you’re extra-sensitive to the sun. Some medicines can cause sensitivity to sunlight. These can include oral contraceptives, antibiot- ics, and even pain medicines like ibuprofen and naproxen. Be extra cautious if you’re taking a medicine that increases your risk for a sunburn. SPECIAL ADVICE FOR SPECIAL PEOPLE While all members of your family need to guard against the sun, some are particularly vulnerable to getting burned.Those include: Babies. According to the AAD, babies younger than 6 months should never be exposed to the sun’s rays. Keep your baby in the shade as much as possible. Dress them in long sleeves, long pants, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses. Don’t let them get overheated, and make sure they get plenty of fluids. Take your baby inside if they develop any redness on exposed skin. Don’t use sunscreen on babies 6 months or younger. For older babies and toddlers, use a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with salmon, tuna and mackerel. Other foods and beverages—such as milk, some orange juices, yogurt and breakfast cereals—are fortified with vitamin D. Check the labels to find out how much vitamin D is in a food or drink. Why is vitamin D important? People who don’t get enough vitamin D can have soft, brittle bones. It’s a condition called rickets in children; in adults, it’s called osteomalacia. Your muscles also need vitamin D to move. Your nerves need it to carry messages between your brain and other parts of your body. And your im- mune system needs it to function properly. If you don’t have enough vitamin D to pair with calcium, you can eventually develop osteoporosis, which also causes brittle bones. How much vitamin D do you need? Your vitamin D needs vary throughout your life. Ac- cording to the National Institutes of Health: ■ Babies from birth to 12 months need 400 international units (IU) per day. Since breast milk is a poor source of vitamin D, breastfed babies need vitamin D supplements. ■ Everyone ages 1 through 70 years needs 600 IU. ■ Adults 71 years and older need 800 IU. Should you take a supplement? If you don’t think you get enough vitamin D, talk with your doctor. Together you can come up with ways, including taking a supplement, for you to get the vitamin D your body needs. Additional source: The Endocrine Society Are vitamin supplements vital? More than 1 in 3 of us take them, but they may not the right choice for everyone. Learn why at tjregionalhealth.org/vitaminsquiz . an SPF of 30 or higher. You may want to look for sunscreen made especially for this age group. Children. You should take care to reapply sunscreen on your children’s exposed skin every two hours or after they’ve been swimming or sweating. It only takes one blistering sunburn in childhood or adolescence to double their chances of developing melanoma—the most dangerous skin cancer—in later life. Teens and young adults. This may be the age group most likely to engage in indoor tanning. Impress upon your teen the dangers of tanning, both indoors and out. Explain to them that even a so-called base tan is a sign of skin damage. Teach them that UV exposure is cumulative: It adds up over time, and every time they tan it increases their chances of getting skin cancer. Urge your teen to cover up, use sunscreen and avoid tanning beds. Men. As a group, men are more likely than anyone else to get skin cancer.That includes the deadliest skin cancer, melanoma. Why are men at higher risk? Men tend to spend more time outdoors than women, and they’re more likely to work outdoors than women. They’re also less likely to wear sunscreen: Ac- cording to CDC, only about 14% of men use sunscreen on both their face and other exposed areas of skin. Men should take the same basic sun-safety precautions when outdoors as every- one else. Older adults. Fewer than half of older adults take steps to protect their skin from the sun’s rays when outside for at least an hour, reports CDC. That’s despite the fact that most cases of skin cancer are found in people older than 65. If you’re an older adult, don’t forget to use sun- screen when going outdoors. And practice other basic sun-safety precautions. Anyone can get skin cancer. Do you know what signs to spot? Learn the ABCDEs of skin cancer and find out when it’s time to talk to a doctor at tjregionalhealth.org/ skinsigns . June 2021 5