How can I balance vitamin D production and risk of cancer? My routine at the moment is going for a 8-10 min walk at 3pm wearing shorts/t-shirt/no hat/no sunscreen.
My latitude is San Francisco-tier & skin type fair.
Balancing vitamin D production with skin cancer risk is all about timing, duration, and exposure management. Since you're fair-skinned, live around San Francisco (~37.8°N latitude), and already have a concise sun routine, you're mostly on the right track — but let’s fine-tune it based on science.
Vitamin D Production
UVB exposure is needed for vitamin D synthesis.
Around midday (10am–2pm) is when UVB is strongest.
Fair-skinned individuals need less time in the sun to produce enough vitamin D — roughly 5–15 minutes of midday exposure on face, arms, and legs is usually sufficient a few times per week.
After reaching a threshold (1,000–2,000 IU per session), your body shuts off additional vitamin D synthesis — staying longer doesn’t help.
Your current walk (3pm, 8–10 mins):
UVB is weaker after 3pm, especially in spring/fall/winter.
Still helpful in summer, but you may not be hitting optimal vitamin D production levels outside of the warmest months.
Skin Cancer Risk
Fair skin (Fitzpatrick Type I–II) burns easily and is more prone to skin damage.
Cumulative UV exposure increases skin cancer risk, especially with repeated burns or long-term unprotected exposure.
Face, ears, shoulders, and scalp are high-risk zones.
Sunscreen or protective clothing after the necessary vitamin D exposure is ideal.
Suggested Optimized Routine
Shift timing slightly earlier — Aim for 12:30–1:30pm when UVB is stronger. Even 5–7 minutes during this window may be more effective than 10 mins at 3pm.
Expose key areas: Shorts and t-shirt is great — try to include forearms and lower legs. Avoid sun on the face if possible (e.g., wear a hat).
Avoid burning: Keep your walk short and safe; if you ever pink up, it's too much.
Cover up after: After ~10 mins, put on sunscreen or a hat, especially on your face, to prevent unnecessary damage.
>>76256553If we wanted an answer from chatGPT we would go to chatGPT, don't post this shit here
>>76256541 (OP)I also have fair skin, live in a 2.0 zone on this map. I take vitamin D supplements, the bottle says each softgel is 25mcg (1000IU) of D3 and I take it once a day.
I also wear sunscreen a lot, my dad has to get skin cancer sliced off him once every 6 months and he'll probably die from it eventually so I don't care what the conspiracy fags around here say about sunscreen, seeing my dad's skin betray him is enough warning for me.
>>76256559What wrong with it? It answers the question.
>>76256589I think I've read that sun exposure has more benefits than just vitD production
>>76256604OP could have just asked chatGPT himself, but he came here for insight from other /fit/fags. Every topic on this board and every human discussion could be replaced with "just google it" or "just asked chatGPT". If somebody wants an answer in the form of probabilities that were leeched from the internet at large they would have gone to chatGPT. If they want a discussion about skin/sun exposure with other humans that have actual skin that they have to make actual decisions about, they can start a topic here on it.
>>76256614I listened to the Huberman Lab podcast on sunlight for health, according to Huberman you're totally right there's more benefits than just vitamin D. But not all of those benefits have to go through your skin, so you should definitely be outside in the sun because even if you're wearing sunscreen you get benefits.
Long version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF0nqolsNZc
Short version:
https://www.hubermanlab.com/newsletter/using-light-for-health
>>76256541 (OP)You only get cancer from sunlight if you regularly go from 0 to 100 over decades. For example, the classic desk jockey who goes to work before sunrise and leaves when it's dark, then goes on vacation in the Carribean.
>>76256589Your dad works in an environment with artifical light and is probably not white.
>>76256541 (OP)Supplement with vitamin D and use sunscreen. You don’t drink dirty water for b12 either, do you? It’s supplemented in our food already.
>>76256666did you read the part where I said I'm fair skin? How could I be fair skinned if my dad isn't fair skinned? We have northern European blood, my dad grew up in the 60s and 70s playing outside. We look like Hitler's wet dream, we were never built for this much sun.
>>76256541 (OP)Take vitamins, drink milk, take whey, walk outside for a bit. You don't need to worry about that much OP
Limit time intervals, go out in short bursts
stick to mornings and evenings, it's easier to get too much too quickly at midday
more surface area - take off your shirt and wear shorts. Vit d is a function of skin surface area while cancer is simply a function of time
>>76257782It says 250 MCG, you fool.
I recall reading about taking some high doses of vitamin C after sun exposure because Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that prevents DNA corruption (old age, cancer)
maybe eat a couple of oranges when you're finished
>>76256541 (OP)White people are mutants who need to die out. Fucking sun dodger lmfao
>>76257785I know, I take 1,000 erry day.
>>76257904The dangers of vitamin D overdose is overestimated but this will cause it
>>76256541 (OP)The sun is good for you. Eggs (15% DV of D per egg) are good for you.
The sun is good for you. Increases your test.
>>76256628>OP could have just asked chatGPT himself,No because he is dumb and dont know it exists.
>but he came here for insight from other /fit/fagslmao there is no insight to drive here. GTP answered it better then anyone in the thread
>>76256541 (OP)Just don't eat seed oil. It makes you burn and damages your DNA.
Sun
md5: aca063d3fd5e883fd1d6ffe329aedf36
🔍
Sun doesn't cause cancer, youve been fed lies
>>76258083>>76256628Never use GPT. It exists only for the purpose of destroying your mind.
>>76258143t. ketard
Seed oils are unironically healthy for you and anyone saying otherwise should be beaten with baseball bats.
>>76258454No one believes that silverstein
>>76256541 (OP)sunlight is the most efficient way to build vitamin D as quickly as possible.
Supplementation even megadosage only has a 60% absorption rate at best.
You are more likely to get cancer from now getting sunlight.
>>76256541 (OP)how about you vitamin Delete yourself
>>76258874didn't mean it sorry it was funnier in my head
>>76256541 (OP)take a supllement and dont go outside problem solved
>>76259008It's not the same as direct sun exposure
