Sunlight is the  best and only natural source of vitamin D: sun exposure to the skin is the human race’s natural, intended, most effective and most neglected source of vitamin D.

Unlike dietary or supplementary vitamin D, when you get your ‘D’ from sunshine your body takes what it needs, and de-metabolizes any extra. That’s critical – as vitamin D experts and many health groups now advocate 1,000 to 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily – five to ten times the old recommendations. Because too much ‘D’ from dietary supplements may cause the body to over-process calcium, nobody really knows for sure how much supplementary vitamin D is safe. On the other hand, sunlight-induced vitamin D doesn’t have that problem – it’s the way your body is intended to make it! Here’s the breakdown:

  • Sun Exposure (to the arms and  legs for 10-15 minutes): 3,000 to 20,000 IU
  • Salmon (3.5 oz. of wild salmon): 600 to 1,000 IU
  • Salmon (3.5 oz. of farmed salmon): 400 IU
  • Fortified Whole Milk, 8-oz. glass (vitamin D is supplemented into milk. It doesn’t occur naturally in milk): 100 IU
  • Fortified Multi-Vitamin: 400 IU

Of course, the easiest and most time-efficient way to get that 15 minutes of UV exposure - in a California Sun tanning bed!  See you in the salon…
Source: Holick, MF. Vitamin D Deficiency. New England Journal of Medicine, July 2007