Vitamin D is essential for overall health and for immunity. Since the sun is the number 1 natural source of vitamin D, will wearing sunglasses block it?
The human eye contains vitamin D receptors such as in the lens and in the cornea’s outer layer. Wearing sunglasses blocks the eyes from receiving vitamin D. However, there are vitamin D receptors located in almost all human tissues, which can receive and metabolize vitamin D even with sunglasses.
Want to learn more about the impact of sunglasses on vitamin D? Read on below.
Will Wearing Sunglasses Block Vitamin D?
Sunglasses are an effective way to protect your eyes from the sun’s harmful rays.
However, the human body does need vitamin D from the sun because it’s an essential vitamin that keeps us healthy and has several important functions for immunity. Wearing sunglasses prevents the vitamin D receptors in the eye from receiving vitamin D, which the eyes also need for overall health. This is because sunglasses are designed to filter out most of the ultraviolet rays from the sun which are harmful for the eyes.
But one doesn’t need to look at the sun directly to receive vitamin D through the eyes – simply spending 15 to 60 minutes a day in sunlight is enough to receive more vitamin D. When the skin is exposed to the sun’s rays, the ultraviolet rays interact with a protein in the skin called 7-DHC, which then converts it into vitamin D.
Conclusion
Wearing sunglasses protects your eyes from the sun’s harmful rays, preventing the vitamin D receptors in the eyes from receiving this vitamin. But regular sun exposure helps the skin produce more vitamin D, so you can still wear sunglasses and get adequate vitamin D.