Your body needs vitamin D. This micronutrient is essential in building and maintaining strong bones, teeth and muscles. But what is the best way to get it? Is soaking in the sun every day enough? Or do you have to take supplements to hit the daily requirement? In a video shared on Instagram, Dr Jeremy London, a board-certified US cardiovascular surgeon with over 25 years of clinical experience, explains the difference between the two. He also reveals which is the best way to get adequate vitamin D every day.
What is vitamin D?
Vitamin D, also known as the sun vitamin, is a fat-soluble nutrient essential to regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. These nutrients are essential to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy. A deficiency can lead to bone deformities such as rickets in children, and bone pain caused by a condition called osteomalacia in adults, according to the NHS. Our body can produce vitamin D naturally when exposed to sunlight. When the skin is exposed to ultraviolet B (UVB) rays, it makes vitamin D3, which is then converted by the liver and kidneys into its active form. Another way to get vitamin D is via dietary sources such as fatty fish, egg yolks and fortified dairy. Supplements are another way.
Sunlight vs supplements
Most people assume that the best source of vitamin D is sunlight. It seems obvious: sunlight is natural, it's free, and, after all, it's how our bodies were designed to produce this essential nutrient. The logic feels sound. Yet, when you examine the clinical evidence, the picture becomes far more nuanced than popular wisdom suggests.
Both sunlight and supplementation, however, deliver the same vitamin. “The vitamin D your skin produces from the sun and the vitamin D in a supplement are the exact same molecule. Your body processes them the same way,” the doctor said.
So the real question is which one actually delivers. According to the cardiac surgeon, supplementation is the most reliable form. “And the research is clear. Oral vitamin D consistently raises blood levels more reliably than sun exposure does,” he said.
The doctor further explained, “In one trial, a small daily dose brought most people into a healthy range within eight weeks, while 20 to 30 minutes of midday sun fell, well, short. Why? Because sun exposure is unpredictable. It depends on your latitude, the season, your skin tone, your age, whether you’re wearing sunscreen, and how much skin you have exposed. Your skin even has a built-in limit on how much vitamin D it will produce in a day. The sun is variable. A supplement is precise.”
The bottom line
Does that mean you should only rely on supplements to get vitamin D? Dr Jeremy London suggests a balanced approach. Spend time in the sun. Why? “It supports you in ways a supplement never will. But for vitamin D itself, D3 with K2 is the more dependable strategy. Lifestyle is the foundation. And sometimes the foundation needs reinforcement,” the cardiologist concluded.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting or stopping any supplement.
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