Doctor 24/7: How to sunbathe and eat eggs to absorb vitamin D well?

'Vitamin D is very good for health. I read in the newspaper that sunbathing and eating eggs will help us absorb vitamin D well. Let me ask, how long should we sunbathe and how many eggs should we eat each day to help our body absorb this vitamin best?' (Q.Anh, in Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City).

Doctor CKI Dinh Tran Ngoc Mai, Department of Nutrition - Dietetics, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, answered: Vitamin D is important in calcium absorption, ensuring the sustainability of the musculoskeletal system, maintaining a healthy immune system and reducing the risk of some cancers.

There are many ways to supplement and increase vitamin D absorption such as taking supplements, sun exposure, and eating foods rich in vitamin D.

Early morning sun exposure helps the body synthesize vitamin D

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Normally in summer you can sunbathe for about 10-30 minutes a day, the time depends on your skin color, skin sensitivity and the level of exposure to sunlight. People with light skin need less time than people with dark skin.

In winter, longer sun exposure or additional vitamin D from food or supplements may be needed due to weaker sunlight.

Sun exposure should be done early in the morning or late in the afternoon to reduce the risk of skin damage. Do not use sunscreen during short periods of sun exposure as sunscreen can reduce the skin's ability to synthesize vitamin D.

Recently, to limit the harmful effects of improper sun exposure that increase the risk of skin cancer, recommendations for treatment and prevention of vitamin D deficiency do not recommend sun exposure, but instead recommend supplementing foods or medicines containing vitamin D.

One medium egg provides about 40 IU of vitamin D, mostly from the yolk. To reach the usual recommended daily intake of 400 IU of vitamin D, you would need to eat about 10 eggs a day.

However, eating such a large amount of eggs is not an effective or healthy way to supplement vitamin D. Therefore, supplementing with other foods including salmon, mackerel, vitamin D-fortified milk, vitamin D-fortified breakfast cereals, vitamin D supplements in pill or liquid drop form is an effective way to ensure adequate daily vitamin D intake without eating too many eggs.

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Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bac-si-24-7-phoi-nang-an-trung-the-nao-de-hap-thu-tot-vitamin-d-185240629112435935.htm