There are
two important substances needed to make sure that the bones
are healthy and strong. These are calcium and vitamin D (also
known as calciferol). According to Dr. Michael Holick, a health
expert from Boston University, an individual needs about 1,000
units of vitamin D in one day. A glass of milk has been found
to supply only 100 units of vitamin D while multivitamin capsules
or tablets gives 400 units. This implies that taking multivitamins
and drinking milk (even two full glasses of it) are not enough
to provide the average body of all the vitamin D it needs.
A
person’s largest source of vitamin D is his own skin. There
are substances in the skin, called precursors, which change
into vitamin D when exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet rays. This
is why in some countries, babies are purposely taken out of
the house and directly exposed to the morning sun so that the
vitamin D in the baby skin will be activated and help strengthen
the bones. In other words, direct exposure to the sun is not
always harmful. It offers health benefits.
Unfortunately,
bright sunlight is not experienced throughout the year. Sunlight
is greatly reduced during the winter season. Then, some people
avoid sunlight like the plague. They wear sunscreens or sun
block lotions. These chemicals reduce the amount of sunlight
that penetrates the skin, thereby decreasing the production
of vitamin D.
Other
people simply have lifestyles that keep them away from the sun.
For example, a typical working man gets into his car which is
inside the garage and drives to his working place. He parks
his car in the basement and takes the elevator. He stays in
a cubicle for the whole morning and takes his lunch at a canteen
lit by fluorescent lamps. Then he continues to work in his cubicle
until early evening. He did not receive enough sunlight. And
as time goes by, his bone density begins to decrease.
There
is a way, however, to prevent the weakening of one’s bones because
of such a lifestyle. A person can spend several minutes every
few weeks in a tanning bed or tanning booth. The ultraviolet
radiation released by the tanning lamps is the same as the UV
radiation coming from the sun. This same radiation can activate
the precursors in the skin and can produce vitamin D. The great
thing about this vitamin is that it can be stored in the body
until the body needs it. Thus, a person need not use the tanning
bed everyday. He can use a tanning bed for twenty minutes on
one Saturday and have enough vitamin D to last him until he
needs to tan again.
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