Discover how to get vitamin D in winter or as seasons shift toward shorter, darker days.

Experts share food, supplement, and lifestyle tips.

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Its officiallythattime of year.

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The time where we swap swimwear for sweaters and iced lattes for steamy PSLs.

As summer gives way to fall and winter, well also get less and less sunlight.

), but a lack of sun can also affect our well-being.

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registered dietitian based in Warren, New Jersey

Case in point: Gettingenough vitamin Dduring shorter, darker days can be a challenge.

The temperature of your skin might also play a role here.

According toHarvard Health Publishing, warm skin produces vitamin D more efficiently than cool skin.

close up of person drinking a green smoothie that may cause their poop to be green

This means youll make more vitamin D on a hot day vs. a cool one.

Signs of low vitamin Dinclude getting sick more often and feeling tired.

Heres Exactly How It Can Affect Your Poop

1.

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Somefoods high in vitamin Dinclude the following:

2.

When youre shopping for a supplement, look for a brand thats certified by a third party, likeNSForUSP.

We especially likeThorneandNature Madesupplements.

cup of matcha green tea sitting on a wooden ledge

registered dietitian based in Warren, New Jersey

Aim to get out at least three days per week, she adds.

Try swapping out your treadmill time for an outdoor run instead, adds Gomes.

That said, more research is needed to fully confirm these benefits.

LOS ANGELES - FEB 10: Patrick Schwarzenegger at the White Lotus Season 3 Premiere at Paramount Studios on February 10, 2025 in Los Angeles, CA

Light therapy can be helpful in easing seasonal affective disorder during the darker months, per theMayo Clinic.

Trying some of the above strategies can help even out your levels and prep you for the winter ahead.

reviewed by Jennifer Gilbert, MD, MPH

Oliosa, Polyana Romano et al.

Woman drinking a protein meal replacement shake in the kitchen

2023, doi:10.1590/1984-0462/2023/41/2021361

Bikle, Daniel D. Extraskeletal actions of vitamin D.Annals of the New York Academy of Sciencesvol.

1376,1 (2016): 29-52. doi:10.1111/nyas.13219

Chandra, Prakash et al.

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