The Sunshine Vitamin

You’d think that by living in the Sunshine State, getting the recommended daily dose of vitamin D — often called the sunshine vitamin, because it is produced in your skin in response to sunlight — would be a breeze. But many of us do not “drink up” as much as we should of this vital vitamin, which can affect as many as 2,000 genes in the body.

If your body doesn’t get enough vitamin D, you’re at risk of developing bone abnormalities such as osteomalacia (soft bones) or osteoporosis (fragile bones), and also at risk for ailments as banal as the flu and as serious as heart disease.

Sardines, salmon and shrimp are foods that contain vitamin D naturally, while other foods such as milk, yogurt, cereal and orange juice are fortified with it, meaning the vitamin is added.

Your body produces vitamin D naturally through direct exposure to sunlight. A little can go a long way: Just 10 minutes a day of midday sun exposure is plenty, especially if you’re fair-skinned.

Even if you are lucky enough to live in a sunny location such as the Emerald Coast, it can sometimes be hard to get enough vitamin D each day through sun exposure and food alone, so taking vitamin D supplements can help.

The National Institutes of Health recommends getting vitamin D from all three of these sources. So eat up and drink up (both in and outdoors) to keep healthy.