Skin, our largest organ & vitamin D

Our skin is massively important to our overall wellbeing. It’s the largest organ in our body and one of the most complicated. An average adult has around 2 square meters of skin, weighing about 8lbs/3.6kg and it plays a crucial role in maintaining our health. Production of vitamin D – skin is responsible for producing vitamin D. During exposure to sunlight, ultraviolet radiation penetrates into the epidermis and gives us our much-needed vitamin D.

But why is our skin so important and what can we do to protect it?

Skin functions

• Acts as a barrier – the skin provides a watertight, airtight, flexible barrier protecting us from infections, physical injury and ultraviolet rays.
• Regulates temperature – the human body can survive wide-ranging external temperatures from -52 degrees C to +49 degrees C. Maintaining the body temperature at 37 degrees is an essential role of the skin to keep our blood running and body functioning properly. The skin has several layers which help regulate our body temperature by controlling the heat transfer out of the body.
• Providing a sense of touch – nerve endings in the dermis, which is the middle layer of skin, contain receptors that transmit feelings such as touch, pain, itchiness etc to the brain.
• Production of vitamin D – skin is responsible for producing vitamin D. During exposure to sunlight, ultraviolet radiation penetrates into the epidermis and gives us our much-needed vitamin D.

Protecting the skin

• Use sunscreen – some sunlight is great for the skin, but overexposure can lead to sunburn, dryness and even some skin cancers.
• Stay hydrated – hydrated skin looks plumper and healthier, whilst dehydrated skin is more prone to environmental irritants.
• Moisturize – dry skin can have cracks that allow infection in.
• Wash regularly but not excessively – too much washing can remove the natural oils from your skin
• Stop smoking – whilst we all know the health hazards of smoking, it’s also bad for the skin often resulting in discolored and prematurely wrinkly skin.
• Reduce alcohol consumption – too much alcohol can produce broken blood vessels under the skin, resulting in a puffy and swollen appearance.
• Eat nutritious foods – in addition to water, your skin also needs various nutrients to remain healthy. In general, you should eat food rich in antioxidants and limit your consumption of processed foods.

https://brittsuperfoods.co.uk/blogs/blog/skin-the-biggest-organ

https://naturalbalance.co.uk/product-category/supplements/supplements-vitamin-a-d-code-liver-oil/

https://supplementsdeals.co.uk/product-category/supplements/supplements-vitamin-a-d-code-liver-oil/

https://www.webmd.com/diet/a-z/alkaline-diets