The need for Vitamin D

Now that we are staying home more, it is worth looking into vitamin D. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that your skin synthesizes when it’s exposed to sunlight. Research that was done even before all the lockdowns shows that vitamin D deficiencies are common since most of us work indoors and not every country has a lot of sunlight [1].
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Having sufficient vitamin D levels has several health benefits, like improved immune function, heart health, and increased performance [2-4]. Spending some time in the sun while staying home (like in your yard or while having windows open) is one way to get vitamin D. In combination with consuming more foods high in vitamin D (see 3rd slide of this post), this will help you bump up your vitamin D levels.
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In spring and summertime, 10-15 minutes of sunlight exposure with ~22% uncovered skin (e.g. wearing tanktop + shorts) is a good starting point for increasing vitamin D [5]. But during these times, I’d like to emphasize that it’s of course key you get this sunlight while being physically distanced from others. So getting sunlight while being in your private yard, balcony or having the windows open.
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If you’re currently staying in a place where the sun does not shine much or you don’t have a private place to sit in the sun, supplementation is worth considering. Research suggests that ~2000IU of vitamin D is a good starting point for improving low vitamin D levels [6].
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1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3755751/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19321573
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3738984/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29722590
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30992519
6. https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article-lookup/doi/10.1210/jc.2012-2682