Vitamin D: this is how dangerous a vitamin D deficiency is

The sun is harmful - that's what we've been told for years. Who would have thought that after all the negative reports in the health sector, a lance would be broken for it? It's about vitamin D, which our body urgently needs. And only the sun can produce it. Read about the effects of vitamin D deficiency and how dangerous it can be.

via Tanja Seiffert

05/17/2018, 14:30

Frau sonnt sich um Vitamin D zu tanken — Sun is important for us because it is the only way to produce the important vitamin D

Sooo far away and yet always there: without our sun, there would be no life. The star, 150 million kilometers away, gives us warmth, light and joie de vivre. But the sun has fallen into disrepute: UV rays can cause cancer and wrinkles... Unfortunately, this is true. And yet: too little sunshine is just as harmful as too much. Swedish researchers have found that not getting enough sun is about as dangerous as smoking or being overweight.

Vitamin D for the bones

The body can only produce vitamin D when the sun shines on bare skin. Vitamin D is vital because it is involved in almost all metabolic processes and bone formation and protects against diseases. If children have too little vitamin D, they can develop rickets.

Vitamin D against cancer

The sun even protects against skin cancer. This is because when the body becomes accustomed to small doses of UV radiation, calluses form: The cornea becomes thicker and the body's own sun protection is created. This prevents the formation of free radicals in the skin and thus protects against cancer.

Ten minutes

Of course, this is not a free pass. Too much UV has been proven to cause cancer and age the skin. Researchers recommend spending ten minutes in the sun every day.