What Vitamin Does the Sun Provide?

The vitamin you get from the sun is vitamin D, often called the sunshine vitamin. Getting enough sunlight is super important to keep your vitamin D levels up. When your skin is exposed to sunlight, it actually produces vitamin D from the cholesterol under your skin.

Vitamin D plays a bunch of key roles in your body, like helping you absorb calcium and phosphorus from your intestines—both are essential for keeping your bones healthy. On the flip side, not getting enough vitamin D can lead to serious health problems like weak bones, cancer, depression, muscle weakness, and even death.

Studies show your body makes vitamin D most efficiently around midday. Just about 13 minutes of sun exposure at noon, three times a week during summer, is enough to maintain healthy levels for most adults. Another study found that 30 minutes of midday sun in Norway equals about 10,000 to 20,000 IU of vitamin D. For reference, the daily recommended dose is 600 IU (or 15 micrograms).

Food Sources of Vitamin D

There are plenty of foods that provide vitamin D, including:

• Mushrooms: Some types have high amounts of vitamin D, such as:
  • Raw white mushrooms: 50 grams have about 562 IU, which is 94% of the daily recommended amount.
  • Dried shiitake mushrooms: 50 grams contain around 77 IU, about 12% of the daily recommended amount.
• Fortified foods: Some companies add vitamin D to products like cow's milk, orange juice, and breakfast cereals.
• Egg yolks: A plate of scrambled eggs made with two large eggs gives about 88 IU, or 15% of the daily recommended dose.

Vitamin D Needs by Age

Here’s a quick look at the daily vitamin D needs and upper limits by age group, according to the Institute of Medicine: