You already know that you need to protect yourself from the sun, but did you know that what you put in your body can help to protect the outside of your body? The vitamins you get from food and supplements can help your body to avoid sun damage and to repair existing damage, but sun exposure is not completely bad. You should understand that the sun helps your body to make vitamin D, which is important helping your immune system and preventing cancer formation. Just like everything in life, sun exposure should be moderate, and to avoid the detrimental effects of the sun, be sure to get the right vitamins in your body.
Vitamin D from the Sun
Not all vitamins come from food or supplements. Your body naturally produces vitamin D when exposed to the sun. Depending on where you live and the time of year, the amount of time you should spend in the sun to let your body create vitamin D will vary. Generally, in the summer months and the closer you get to the equator, the less time you need to spend in the sun. During the winter months, you may need to spend two to three hours per week outside to produce enough vitamin D.
When you go outside with the purpose of allowing your body to produce vitamin D, you should not were sunscreen to ensure that your skin absorbs the greatest amount of sunlight. After a few minutes of unprotected sun exposure, you can put sunscreen on to avoid getting a sun burn or other damage to your skin. A little bit of sunlight to make vitamin D is good, but too much can still lead to sunburns or skin cancer.
About Antioxidants
To protect and repair your skin from the damage done by the sun, both before and after it happens, your body needs to have an immune system that is in peak condition. When you are exposed to the sun, the ultra-violet rays can cause the formation of free radicals in your body. These can cause cell damage unless they are stopped before they can do harm. That is where antioxidants come into play. Antioxidants, like vitamins C, E, and A, can block the action of free radicals on your cells, which prevents cellular damage from the sun. You may even be able to prevent a sunburn in some instances by using a combination of these vitamins.
To get the most from vitamins A, C, and E, it is best to get them from food rather than supplements. A salad made with dark, leafy greens, almonds, and citrus fruits or strawberries is a tasty way to get all three of these vitamins in a single meal.
You need the sun to help your body to produce vitamin D, but too much exposure can be harmful. To less these effects of the sun’s rays, enjoy a healthy diet that provides your body with enough vitamins, especially A, E, and C. When thinking of sun protection, you need to consider the vitamins you put into your body as well as the sunscreen on the outside.
John is a freelance writer, internet marketer and regular contributor on eCellulitis , a skin health related website.
