Benefits of morning sun, can prevent the risk of fractures

You don't need to bother looking for ways to maintain healthy bones. It is enough to bask in direct sunlight for just a few minutes each day. Many studies report that the benefits of sunlight can not only strengthen bones, but also prevent you from the risk of fractures. Indeed, what does sunlight have to do with bone health?

Benefits of sunlight for bones

The benefits of sunlight help the body produce vitamin D automatically, by converting cholesterol under the skin into calcitriol (vitamin D3). These vitamins will then be distributed directly to the liver and kidneys and then circulated throughout the body through the bloodstream. In fact, more than 80 percent of the vitamin D the body needs comes from sunlight.

Vitamin D is a bone-forming nutrient. The main role of vitamin D in the body is to help the absorption of calcium and phosphorus into the bones. This effect ultimately helps bone growth and overall strength.

Lack of vitamin D makes the body quickly lose these two important minerals, so this then makes your bones brittle, breaks easily, and puts you at risk for osteoporosis. Lack of vitamin D also prevents the body's immune system from working properly, leading to an increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis (chronic arthritis) which also affects bone health.

In many cases, people only realize that they have osteoporosis after a bone is broken. If your bones are already brittle, even just coughing or sneezing can fracture your ribs and a vertebra or injure one vertebra.

How long do you have to stay in the sun to strengthen your bones?

Based on the Nutritional Adequacy Rate (RDA), the average vitamin D needed by the body is 15 mcg per day. Meanwhile, people over 65 years of age generally need more intake, which is about 25 mcg per day.

Due to the risk of skin cancer, there are no official recommendations for how much or how long you should be exposed to the sun. However, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), you only need to be exposed to the morning sun for at least 5 to 15 minutes at least two to three times a week without using sunscreen, especially for those of you who have pale white skin. The duration of this sunbathing is able to cover most of your daily vitamin D needs

For the Indonesian region, the recommended sunbathing time is from 10 am to 2 pm.

Food sources high in vitamin D.

If you are among those who spend more time indoors, you can get around your vitamin D intake from certain food sources. Foods high in vitamin D include fatty fish (such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, and herring), egg yolks, red meat, and so on.

If necessary, you can also take supplements to help meet the needs of this vitamin. However, before taking any supplements, you should consult your doctor first in order to get the right dosage according to your needs.