The leading provider of health care news on the internet has published a free one-hour video on his web site promoting sun exposure and vitamin D as the most impactful health care leap in recent years.

“The ideal way to get vitamin D is by exposing your skin to appropriate sunlight,” says Dr. Jospeh Mercola, founder of www.mercola.com. “Unfortunately for most of us there simply isn’t enough sun exposure for nearly half of the year. However, even in the sun many of us are modern day cavemen and we spend the majority of the time the sun is out shining inside at work or in our home. Not many of us are regularly out in the sun.”

Mercola continues, “Sun exposure (without sunscreen) of about 10 to 15 minutes a day, with at least 40 percent of your skin exposed, is a general guide of how much you need, although people with dark skin will need to stay out significantly longer.”

His advice to those who struggle with vitamin D deficiency in the winter? Use a tanning bed. He also points out:

• In the United States, the late winter average vitamin D is only about 15-18 ng/ml, which is considered a very serious deficiency state. Meanwhile, it’s thought that over 95 percent of U.S. senior citizens may be deficient, along with 85 percent of the American public. Further:
• Vitamin D deficiency is epidemic in adults of all ages who have increased skin pigmentation, such as those whose ancestors are from Africa, the Middle East, or India, who always wear sun protection, or who limit their outdoor activities.
• African Americans and other dark-skinned people and those living in northern latitudes make significantly less vitamin D than other groups.
• 60 percent of people with type 2 diabetes have vitamin D deficiency.
• Studies showed very low levels of vitamin D among children, the elderly, and women.
• One U.S. study of women revealed that almost half of African American women of childbearing age might be vitamin-D deficient.

To see Mercola’s full one-hour lecture on vitamin D click here.