I understand there are long, dark winters there. My friend mentioned that I should start taking vitamin D supplements since I wouldn't be getting enough sun. Sue Gilbert Sue is a consulting nutritionist. For many years she worked with Earth's Best Organic Baby Food, integrating nutrition and product development. She has written numerous articles on children's health and nutrition for parenting publications.
Vitamin D is important because it helps bones to absorb and retain calcium.
You may need to take a vitamin D supplement, depending on the time you spend outdoors, the foods you eat and the color of your skin. Our bodies produce vitamin D by the action of sunlight on our skin. It occurs in the deep layer of the skin, where ultraviolet radiation activates the synthesis of vitamin D from a compound called 7- dehydrocholesterol. The activated substance then goes to the liver where final conversion takes place. It takes only 10 to 20 minutes of sunlight exposure, three times per week, on any small patch of skin.