{"id":385,"date":"2021-07-29T09:20:59","date_gmt":"2021-07-29T08:20:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.lboro.ac.uk\/wellbeing\/?p=385"},"modified":"2021-07-29T09:21:01","modified_gmt":"2021-07-29T08:21:01","slug":"your-monthly-health-check-vitamin-d-and-the-sun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.lboro.ac.uk\/wellbeing\/2021\/07\/29\/your-monthly-health-check-vitamin-d-and-the-sun\/","title":{"rendered":"Your monthly health check: Vitamin D and the sun"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
Image courtesy of Getty Images<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As part of a new partnership with <\/em>Super Wellness<\/em><\/a>, the University\u2019s Occupational Health and Wellbeing team is delighted to introduce a new series of monthly check-ins with your health. Each edition revolves around a specific theme.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This month, we\u2019ll be looking at Vitamin D and sun health.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Vitamin D?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin produced by UV radiation from sunlight as it strikes the skin. It can help with both immune and bone health, as well as improving your mood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our levels of Vitamin D can be affected by various factors: age, skin colour, weight, and the time of year can all play a part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, the older you are, the less able your skin will be to make Vitamin D. And if your skin is darker, you\u2019ll typically need more sun exposure to get a sufficient level of Vitamin D.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s a healthy level of Vitamin D and what can help me achieve this?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ideally, you should be striving for levels above 50nmol\/L. Those with 25nmol\/L or below are categorised as deficient in Vitamin D.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For those who are interested, you can test your Vitamin D levels by purchasing a home kit from an NHS laboratory. More information can be found here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To achieve a substantial level of Vitamin D, you can try the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n