Can You Get Vitamin D Through Clothes?

Vitamin D is one of the essential vitamins our body requires for optimal function and health. It is often referred to as the sunshine vitamin, as it is created naturally by the body when the skin is exposed to sunlight.

But it’s hardly appropriate for us to walk around in the nude all the time. So, how does clothing affect vitamin D production? Here, we explain all.

The Importance of Vitamin D

Before we delve into the ins and outs of vitamin D production, it’s important to understand first why it is so vital for a healthy body.

Vitamin D has several important roles in the body, including ¹:

• Regulating calcium levels to build strong bones and teeth
• Supporting a robust immune system
• Regulating moods
• Protecting against cardiovascular diseases
• Maintaining healthy muscles
• Supporting growth and development

If you don’t get sufficient amounts of vitamin D, your immune system is weakened and you are at greater risk of illness and many chronic diseases. Vitamin D deficiency is also linked to brittle bones and mood-related disorders like depression.

Vitamin D Synthesis

There are two ways to obtain vitamin D: you can either consume it through eating certain foods such as fish, red meat, eggs, dairy, and mushrooms, or through exposure to sunlight.

Vitamin D synthesis from the sun is one of the best ways to get your daily vitamin D dose. This process takes place when your skin is exposed to the sun’s UV rays which convert a precursor to vitamin D naturally present in the skin into vitamin D3. From there, it travels to your liver and kidneys where it is converted into calcitriol, the usable active form of vitamin D.

What About If I‘m Wearing Clothes?

A common misconception is that you can get vitamin D from the sun through clothing. This is not true, as the only way to trigger the chemical reaction that results in vitamin D production is for sunlight to reach your skin directly.

Wearing clothes, or even sunscreen for that matter, blocks the sun’s UV rays and limits vitamin D production. According to one study, vitamin D deficiency was common among Arab women who wear clothing to cover their whole bodies for religious and cultural reasons ².

Another study found that vitamin D status was linked to clothing style worn by participants, with those wearing clothes that cover more of the body at higher risk of deficiency ³.

During the winter, the sun’s rays are weaker and daylight hours are shorter, making it much more challenging to get enough vitamin D. As it’s often cold during winter months, we tend to wrap up more and wear lots of clothing, further limiting vitamin D production even when we do go outside.

As such, vitamin D supplements are a great way to ensure you get your daily dose of vitamin D in the winter.

Conclusion

Vitamin D is vital for supporting many aspects of health, such as immune function and strong bones and teeth. It is obtained through eating certain foods and is also synthesized by the body when the skin is exposed to the sun’s UV rays.

However, this reaction is blocked by clothing, increasing your risk of deficiency and the associated health implications. By taking a supplement such as those offered by Performance Lab, you can ensure you get your daily dose of vitamin D, no matter what the circumstances!