how much 'sunshine' for vitamin D?

[maz]

We've just come back from the Pead's as he asked us if Mateauz gets sunshine? WTF??? I asked him why and he said that his bow leggedness could be from being deficent in vitamin D I dont sit and time how long we are outside for andim wondering if I have to now?

SO does anyone know how long is enough sunshine a day to keep the Vitamin D at bay? and does it vary from adults to children?

[Olive]

i think he'd have to had next to no sunlight exposure ever for it to cause the bow legs maz, id day 10-15 mins a day would be fine could be mighty wrong though!!

[rufalina]

I have low Vit D and my Dr said 15-20 mins in the sun with arms and chest (i.e. in a singlet) exposed most days would be OK. But I am not good at doing it, I have really fair skin, and I am terrible with DS as he is so fair, I lather him up in sunscreen and a hat... But I do try....

[maz]

AJP - the vitamin D along with a genetic thing being southern european decent can cause the bow leggedness....stupid friggen day

thanks girls

[Arimeh]

Yeah I've always been told that its about 15 minutes a day. But you won't absorb it without enough of another vitamin - can't remember what it is - maybe C? Or maybe its the other way round, you won't absorb vitamin c without enough D...

Crap. Can't remember. I'm sure someone here can clear it up for me.

[Salsa]

Maz, the GP tested me recently and my D level was very low. He said about getting sunshine (about 10 mins a day), but also said that some peoples bodies are just not as good as others at storing it. Hope that makes you feel a bit better


Mel - its Vit D thats needed for calcium absorption. Vit C is what you need to help your body get iron.

[Jahzara]

Yeah I've always been told that its about 15 minutes a day. But you won't absorb it without enough of another vitamin - can't remember what it is - maybe C? Or maybe its the other way round, you won't absorb vitamin c without enough D...

Crap. Can't remember. I'm sure someone here can clear it up for me.

Not sure Mel - but i know that for Calcium to be absorbed you need vitamin D
Does that help ?

Maz - i would say 15 - 20 mins a day -

ETA - snap Salsa !

[~Kim~]

Maz....did he offer a solution??

[Arimeh]

Mel - its Vit D thats needed for calcium absorption. Vit C is what you need to help your body get iron.

God I'm glad there is smart people on here.. LOL

[Salsa]

oh and just have Oprah on and Dr OZ said something that reminded me -
Vit D can also be found naturally in tinned oily fish. So sardines on toast is a good thing to have for lunch a few times a week ... bit of salt and pepper -its not that bad

[Jellyfish]

I have been told about 8 minutes a day and it can even be just your feet in the sunshine

Vit D deficiency is on the rise because we are so efficient at slip, slop, slapping!

[maz]

Maz....did he offer a solution??

we have to have x rays to see if there is a developmental delay in his hip/s and worse case senario then shunts will have to be put into his actual hip (surgically). this is a 5% chanch of happening

We may be lucky and he may be the other 95% of kids that just go PING and his legs might jsut straighten out by them selves

[Karina]

ooh At uni the other day the lecturer went on and on about this! He was saying its really good to get about 3-4 hours a week of sunlight .. you need calcium as well.

[Mak]

After 20mins of sun exposure the Vit D production is of no benefit (it gets degraded). Egg yolks, salmon, sardines and tuna have Vit D too - not sure how tempting those smelly fish are too little people tho! I think Physical milk has extra Vit D too....may be worth a look.

[~Kim~]

we have to have x rays to see if there is a developmental delay in his hip/s and worse case senario then shunts will have to be put into his actual hip (surgically). this is a 5% chanch of happening

We may be lucky and he may be the other 95% of kids that just go PING and his legs might jsut straighten out by them selves

He's beat all the other odds.....he'll do this too.

[Lisa]

Urgh Maz... don't you just lurve Dr's and their scare tactics?

My eldest DS was bow legged until he was almost 4... then his legs suddenly went straight. I was told the whole Vit D thing too but it was crap as he'd been getting loads of sunshine... he also ate fresh fish and loved eggs.
Fingers crossed your little man is one of the PING legged kids

[luna moth]

It also depends where you live - Cancer Council recommendations are that in Victoria, children don't have any sun protection at all betwee 1st may and 1st September. That means no sunscreen, no hats, but also minimise exposure between 10 and 2. This advice was generated based on cases of rickets, caused by low Vitamin D.

In QLD, however, the recommendation is to use protection all year round. I guess it's something to do with intensity or brightness of the sun?

For grown ups the advice is 10-15 minutes per day on the arms, hands and face. Prefereably early morning as UV levels are not as intense then.

[melbel]

From one who has a serious vitamin D deficiency the official word is:

In summer: 15 mins morning and afternoon with no sun cream on, face and forearms. so half an hour per day total with no sunscreen.
In winter: a total of at least 2.5 - 3 hours a week face and forearms to get adequate vitamin d synthesis.

Vitamin D is fat soluble which means we can store it up so what we get in summer can help to tide us over winter but only if we have lots to start with....

You can get it from foods such as oily fish (salmon or tuna in oil not in brine) and egg yolks but it is only available in very small amounts in foods and is no where near enough for normal levels.

hope that helps Mazzy!