As the article shows, the best way, the natural way to get vitamin D, is with sunshine on your bare skin. Even, presumably, when it’s ten below zero outside and, no, sunshine filtered through a glass window does NOT provide vitamin D.

     And, whoa! Doesn’t sunshine cause skin cancer? And shouldn’t we all be using sunscreen?

     The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements is happy to weigh in on the topic. It says, “Sunscreens with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 8 or greater will block UV rays that produce vitamin D, but it is still important to routinely use sunscreen to help prevent skin cancer. . . . An initial exposure to sunlight (10-15 minutes) allows adequate time for Vitamin D synthesis and should be followed by application of a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 to protect the skin. Ten to fifteen minutes of sun exposure at least two times per week to the face, arms, hands, or back without sunscreen is usually sufficient to provide adequate vitamin D. It is very important for individuals with limited sun exposure to include good sources of vitamin D in their diet.”

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp

     Other vitamin D sources include milk fortified with vitamin D, calcium tablets with added vitamin D, and, of course, a daily multivitamin pill.