How Much Vitamin D Does Your Body Need? The Ultimate Guide to Sun Exposure and Supplements

2023-06-06 14:03:19

Vitamin D is produced by the body itself with the help of the sun. But how much vitamin D does the body actually need and how long should you stay in the sun?

The body needs vitamin D to utilize calcium and phosphorus well and thus contributes to healthy bones, teeth and muscles. Vitamin D also has a special status among vitamins: it is produced by the skin itself with the help of sunlight. But how much vitamin D does the body need per day?

How much vitamin D does the body need per day?

Die German Society for Nutrition (DGE) has published estimates of daily vitamin D requirements. Anyone who stays in the sun long enough every day does not need any additional vitamin D. The following values ​​therefore only refer to days when the body cannot produce any vitamin D itself:

• Infants (0 to less than 12 months): 10 mcg/day
• Children (1 to under 15 years): 20 µg/day
• Adolescents and adults (15 to under 65 years): 20 µg/day
• Adults (65 years and older): 20 µg/day
• Pregnant women: 20 µg/day
• Breastfeeding: 20 µg/day

Many vitamin D preparations are not given in µg/day, but in international units (IU). According to the DGE, these are converted as follows:

• 1 µg = 40 International Units (IU); 1 IU = 0.025 µg

Converted, the following applies to children and adults: According to the DGE, anyone who has not spent enough time in the sun over a long period of time could contribute to an adequate vitamin D supply with preparations with a dosage of 800 IU.

There are also some vitamin D tablets on the market that have a very high dose of 20,000 IU. These should only be taken after consulting a doctor, as a vitamin D overdose can lead to serious consequences. The first symptoms of an overdose may be nausea or vomiting. There is no need to worry about a one-off overdose with preparations that exceed the daily requirement. However, if you take it for a longer period of time, problems can arise because vitamin D is stored by the body as a fat-soluble vitamin.

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Sunbeams: This is how much vitamin D the body needs

For a sufficient supply of vitamin D, the DGE recommends spending a total of five to 25 minutes a day in the sun, depending on the season. Since vitamin D is formed through the skin, face, hands and arms should not be covered with clothing.

The amount of time you can spend in the sun without blushing depends on your skin type. Lighter skin types (1 to 3) should be careful when sunbathing. According to that Federal Office for Radiation Protection you should estimate from which UV dose you would get a sunburn and accordingly only spend half the time in the sun.

According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) to the risk group for vitamin D deficiency. Due to the higher pigmentation of the skin, the UV rays, which are necessary for the formation of vitamin D, cannot penetrate well. So you have to spend significantly more time in the sun to have a sufficient vitamin D level in your body. According to the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, you can use the following times as a guide, depending on your skin type:

Especially UV-sensitive people with light skin and children

	Late morning	Midday	Afternoon
January and December	>4h	1.5 to 2.5 hours	too little Exposition
February and November	2.5 to 3.5 hours	30 minutes to 1.5 hours	2 to 3 hours
March and October	1 to 2 hours	15 mins to 30 mins	30 minutes to 3 hours
April and September	30 to 45 mins	10 min	15 to 30 mins
May and August	15 to 30 mins	5 to 10 mins	10 to 15 mins
June and July	15 to 20 minutes	5 to 10 mins	10 to 15 mins

Normal UV-sensitive people with medium-light skin

	Late morning	Midday	Afternoon
January and December	>5h	2 to 7 hours	too little Exposition
February and November	3 to 5 hours	45 minutes to 2.5 hours	too little Exposition
March and October	1 to 2 hours	30 to 45 mins	45 minutes to 2.5 hours
April and September	45 to 60 minutes	10 to 20 mins	20 to 60 minutes
May and August	20 to 45 mins	10 to 15 mins	15 to 30 mins
June and July	20 to 30 mins	10 to 15 mins	15 to 20 minutes

Less UV-sensitive people with dark skin

	Late morning	Midday	Afternoon
January and December	>7h	too little Exposition	too little Exposition
February and November	4 to 8 hours	1.5 hours to 5 hours	too little Exposition
March and October	2 to 4 hours	45 minutes to 1.5 hours	too little Exposition
April and September	60 to 120 mins	20 to 60 minutes	45 minutes to 3.5 hours
May and August	45 to 90 minutes	20 to 30 mins	30 to 60 mins
June and July	40 to 75 minutes	20 to 30 mins	30 to 60 mins

As can be seen from the table, people in Germany who are less UV-sensitive cannot get enough vitamin D from the sun’s rays from October to March. Even lighter skin types would have to spend four hours outdoors to produce a total of 600 IU of vitamin D – which is not the case for many due to the cold temperatures. Although the body falls back on its vitamin D stores in fat and muscles in winter, it can be useful to take additional supplements after consulting a doctor.

These tables should only be used as a guide. The DGE also writes that the individual need for UV light varies greatly. The duration of solar radiation also depends on the latitude.

Vitamin D levels: when does the body need more?

A blood test is done to check how much vitamin D is in the body. According to the RKI, the content is measured using 25-hydroxyvitamin D, a precursor to active vitamin D. Depending on the source, the values ​​are given in nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml) or nanomoles per liter a(nmol/l). Here is the overview:

25 (OH)D in ng/ml	possible effects
<12	Vitamin D Deficiency Risk for: Bone disease in children and adolescents (rickets) Bone formation disorders (osteomalacia) Porous bones (osteoporosis)
12 bis <20	Suboptimal supply
20 bis <50	Sufficient for bones and general health
≥50	Possible oversupply, with potential health consequences Risk for: cardiac arrhythmias Kidney stones oversupply of calcium

Those: RKI and Institute of Medicine

The right mix: ingredients for a balanced diet
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• fruit and vegetables Shop seasonally and as locally as possible. Cooking more and more often. Combine with potatoes, rice or pasta and season well. It’s quick and tasty!

• frozen vegetables and fruit Frozen goods are prepared in no time. The only disadvantage is the high energy consumption during cultivation, transport and storage. “Natural” vegetables can be seasoned individually. One-kilogram bags, from which the required quantity can be easily removed, are cheaper.

• potatoes Jacket potatoes or other “natural” potatoes are not fattening foods. They contain valuable potassium, fiber, vegetable protein. Potatoes from the tin, boiled potatoes with herbal quark, potato and vegetable pans.

• milk and milkproducts These foods should always be as natural as possible.

• legumes Lentil soups in all variations are popular, especially in winter.

• carbohydrates Sourdough bread and wholemeal bread are well tolerated and offer lots of vitamins and fiber. Oatmeal is one of the healthiest foods. They contain a lot of vegetable protein, zinc, selenium, vitamin K, magnesium, phosphorus.

• nuts Walnuts in particular boast a lot of vegetable protein, vitamin E and many minerals. They are good for the heart and brain.

• Water The body depends on water. It is important in the morning to let the water that has collected in the pipe overnight run until it is cold.

• Contact The Bavarian Consumer Advice Center also advises by e-mail. You can reach the consumer advocates at [email protected]. On this website you can also ask questions about nutrition.