For many years we have been advised to wear sunscreen to help prevent
skin cancer, but what happens if you don’t get any sun at all? Scientists don’t know exactly how much sunlight you need for good health, but one report from Turkey showed that women who wear veils have lower blood levels of vitamin D and therefore are at increased risk for suffering osteoporosis
(Journal of Women’s Health & Gender-Based Medicine, Volume
10, 2001).
Food sources of vitamin D include egg yolks, liver, and
fish oils from sardines, herring, salmon and other fatty fish.
The vast majority of people in all cultures do not eat enough of these
foods to meet their requirements for vitamin D, so they have to
depend on sunlight. You get enough vitamin D to meet your
requirements by exposing a few inches of skin to sunlight for
less than one half hour a day. Veiled women rarely
expose any part of their bodies to sunlight, so they have low
blood levels of vitamin D that increase their risk for
osteoporosis.
Fortified milk is not a particularly good source
of vitamin D because the calcium uses up vitamin D, so you may
need more than you get in the milk to compensate.
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Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports -- and the FREE Good Food Book -- at http://www.DrMirkin.com
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