Will vitamin D get through the sunscreen? Yes and no

Worried that all that sunscreen will block out the essential vitamin D that comes from sunshine? Don't be.

"Kids are still getting exposure to the sun in the summertime," says Brenda Moroz, chief of dermatology at the Montreal Children's Hospital. "No matter how much I describe and demonstrate how to apply sunscreen, kids are still not getting a complete block 95 per cent of the time."

Vitamin D deficiency is not a big issue, she says.
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But winter can pose a problem, since children still need sunscreen to combat the sun, which can be particularly strong when reflected off snow.
"If parents are concerned with vitamin D, they can go to their physician and get a supplement," she explains. There's also milk products, which are also fortified with the vitamin.

And with a laugh sure to send chills down the spines of those old enough to remember, she adds, "You can always go back to that old standby: cod liver oil."

source:www.canada.com