--- description: Learn more about the best way to get your vitamin D while protecting your skin against harmful rays from the sun. title: Vitamin D image: https://www.skincancer.org/wp-content/uploads/default-page-and-post.png --- [Home](https://www.skincancer.org/) › [Skin Cancer Prevention](https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-prevention/) › [Sun Protection](https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-prevention/sun-protection/) › Vitamin D # Vitamin D & Sun Protection ## What You Need to Know While a limited amount of vitamin D can be obtained from exposure to the sun’s [ultraviolet (UV) radiation](http://skincancer.org/risk-factors/uv-radiation/), the health risks of UV exposure — including [skin cancer](http://skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/) — are great. Instead, The Skin Cancer Foundation suggests you get your  vitamin D from sources like oily fish, fortified dairy products and cereals, and supplements. Read on to learn more about the best way to get your vitamin D. ##### Statement on Obtaining Adequate Vitamin D Vitamin D is essential for strong bones and a healthy immune system. A review of 1,000 studies by the Institute of Medicine in Washington, DC, found that the vast majority of Americans are taking in enough vitamin D, and that there is no sound evidence vitamin D insufficiency is leading to a wave of cancers, heart disease, diabetes and other conditions. The Skin Cancer Foundation supports The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies’ Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for vitamin D, which is 600 IU (International Units) a day for people between the ages of 1 and 70, and 800 IU a day for people ages 70 and older. For children under 1 year, adequate intake (AI) is 400 IU a day. The Foundation cautions the public against intentional exposure to natural sunlight or artificial UV radiation (tanning beds) as a means of obtaining vitamin D, since the health risks of UV exposure – including skin cancer and premature skin aging – are significant and well proven. ## Sun & Skin News [5 Myths of Indoor Tanning, Busted!](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/5-myths-indoor-tanning-busted/)![indoor-tanning-male]() [Skin Cancer Myths & Misinformation](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/category/skin-cancer-myths-misinformation/) [Tanning](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/category/tanning/) ### [5 Myths of Indoor Tanning, Busted!](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/5-myths-indoor-tanning-busted/) [Ask the Expert: What Is a Solar Callus?](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/ask-the-expert-what-is-a-solar-callus/)![Should you listen to influencers who promote the notion of building a “solar callus” to produce vitamin D? Our expert says ]() [Ask the Expert](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/category/ask-the-expert/) ### [Ask the Expert: What Is a Solar Callus?](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/ask-the-expert-what-is-a-solar-callus/) [Ask the Expert: Just a Little Tan?](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/ask-expert-just-little-tan/)![base-tan-tanning-bed]() [Tanning](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/category/tanning/) ### [Ask the Expert: Just a Little Tan?](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/ask-expert-just-little-tan/) Last updated: May 2021 Open menu Menu Close menu SearchSearch ```json {"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/skin-cancer-prevention\/sun-protection\/vitamin-d\/","url":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/skin-cancer-prevention\/sun-protection\/vitamin-d\/","name":"Vitamin D - The Skin Cancer Foundation","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/#website"},"datePublished":"2019-05-20T17:26:00+00:00","dateModified":"2021-05-27T20:29:41+00:00","description":"Learn more about the best way to get your vitamin D while protecting your skin against harmful rays from the sun.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/skin-cancer-prevention\/sun-protection\/vitamin-d\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/skin-cancer-prevention\/sun-protection\/vitamin-d\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/skin-cancer-prevention\/sun-protection\/vitamin-d\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Skin Cancer Prevention","item":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/skin-cancer-prevention\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Sun Protection","item":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/skin-cancer-prevention\/sun-protection\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Vitamin D"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/","name":"The Skin Cancer Foundation","description":"Education, prevention, early detection, and treatment of skin cancer","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/#organization","name":"The Skin Cancer Foundation","url":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/SCF-Logo-2025-4C.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/SCF-Logo-2025-4C.png","width":1199,"height":1254,"caption":"The Skin Cancer Foundation"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/skincancerfoundation","https:\/\/x.com\/skincancerorg","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/skincancerorg\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/the-skin-cancer-foundation\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/skincancer\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/SkinCancerFoundation","https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Skin_Cancer_Foundation","https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@skincancerorg"],"description":"The Skin Cancer Foundation saves and improves lives. We empower people to take a proactive approach to daily sun protection and the early detection and treatment of skin cancer.","email":"info@skincancer.org","telephone":"(212) 725-5176","legalName":"The Skin Cancer Foundation"}]} ```