Tanning Truths for Teens
- What About Vitamin D?
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What About Vitamin D?
Vitamin D is important for healthy bones, muscles and brain, and research shows it may have a beneficial effect on a number of cancers and immune diseases.
Vitamin D comes from:
Food
Vitamin D is available in some foods. This is a safe way to get vitamin D: fatty fish, such as salmon and sardines, are the main natural sources. Most vitamin D in the diet comes from fortified foods including all cows’ milk (fluid, evaporated and dried – but not milk products such as ice cream or cheese), margarine and fortified plant-based beverages. Infant formulas, meal replacements and nutritional supplements are also fortified with vitamin D (Dietitians of Canada website, 2008)
UVB Rays
UVB rays produce vitamin D in the body. You can get UVB rays from the sun, you need just a few minutes to get enough Vit D (time required varies with skin colour, how easily a person burns, UV index…). Just a few minutes on exposed hands and face during a day is usually enough.
In the winter in Canada, UVB is very low so the sun is not a good source, although there is still a danger of skin damage from the sun in the winter. Tanning beds are not regulated for the number of UV rays they emit, so you never know how much you are getting. Tanning beds tend to have higher UVA to increase tanning, they may not have any UVB, although they may have 5x the UVA rays therefore it is much too dangerous to risk it, Health experts recommend NOT using tanning beds as they are not a safe way to get Vitamin D, the risk of melanoma from exposure to both UVA and UVB rays is too high.
Supplements
Supplements are a safer form of vitamin D, speak to your doctor to find out if you need to take a supplement.
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