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It’s virtually a given, as it has been for decades, that protecting ourselves from the sun is an essential part of staying healthy through the warmer months. We’ve known for years about the dangers we face in failing to practice proper sun safety, namely an increased risk of skin cancer and melanoma, not to mention permanent skin damage and premature wrinkling.

Most of us understand the need to apply sunscreen and be mindful of the amount of time we spend outside. But what if there’s something we’ve been missing? According to family physician Dr. Gerry Schwalfenberg, our conventional wisdom may have shifted so far in the direction of sun avoidance that we’re actually neglecting to acknowledge an important fact: our bodies need sunlight to produce vitamin D, which is essential to our overall health.

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“If you cover up, avoid UV and don’t get some sun exposure at midday in summer, chances are that you are going to be vitamin D deficient,” says Dr. Schwalfenberg.