PROFESSIONAL AT MERCY MEDICAL CENTER ABOUT WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW. WHEN YOU THINK OF GETTING VITAMIN D, YOU PROBABLY THINK, JUST GO OUTSIDE IN THE SUN. WELL, THAT’S NOT ALWAYS ENOUGH TO FIX A VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY. MERCY MEDICAL CENTER PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT JAYLEN HEYLIGER SAYS BEING OUT IN THE SUN COMES WITH A SKIN CANCER RISK, AND SHE SAYS PEOPLE WITH DARKER SKIN TONES DON’T ALWAYS ABSORB VITAMIN D AS WELL. SO WHILE SITTING ON THE SUN CAN HELP, IT’S NOT A TOTAL FIX. VITAMIN D IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE BONE HEALTH IS A MUCH BIGGER PROBLEM IN WOMEN, AND WOMEN ARE FOUR TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DEVELOP OSTEOPOROSIS THAN MEN. HEYLIGER ALSO SAYS MENOPAUSE CAN CAUSE WOMEN TO HAVE A LOWER BONE MINERAL DENSITY. SO WITH THE DOCTOR’S GUIDANCE, YOU CAN GET YOUR NUMBERS IN CHECK. IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU’RE AT. IF YOU TRULY ARE VITAMIN D DEFICIENT BASED ON YOUR LEVELS, SOMETIMES YOU’RE TAKING LIKE A 5000 UNIT WEEKLY. SOMETIMES IF YOU’RE JUST KIND OF ON THAT FINE LINE, OR YOU ARE SOMEONE WHO, LET’S SAY MAYBE YOU’RE A LITTLE VITAMIN D DEFICIENT, BUT YOU DO WORK OUTSIDE, THEN MAYBE WE WOULD HAVE YOU TAKE LIKE A LESSER UNIT. IT’S HARD TO KIND OF JUST GIVE A, A ONE FIT ALL. HEYLIGER SAYS A VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY IS HARD TO DIAGNOSE. SHE SAYS SOME PEOPLE EXPERIENCE SYMPTOMS LIKE FATIGUE, MUSCLE ACHES OR WEAKNESS, AND EVEN BONE PAIN, BUT TESTING CAN CONFIRM A DEFICIENCY, HEYLIGER SAYS. A HEALTHY AMOUNT OF VITAMIN D TO TAKE EVERY DAY WOULD BE THE AMOUNT IN A MULTIVITAMIN. AND SHE SAYS, IF YOU’RE TAKING JUST VITAMIN D, CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR TO MAKE SURE YOU
Woman’s Doctor: Sunlight isn’t enough to treat Vitamin D deficiency
Vitamin D supports bone health; women 4 times more likely to develop osteoporosis than men
Updated: 5:35 PM EDT May 25, 2026
Vitamin D is a crucial nutrient that maintains bone health, but some women are deficient.When thinking about Vitamin D, some may think simply about going outside in the sunlight, but that’s not always enough to fix a deficiency.While sitting out in the sun can help, it’s not a total fix. Mercy Medical Center physician assistant Jaelyn Heyliger told WBAL-TV 11 News that sunlight exposure comes with a risk for skin cancer and that people with darker skin tones don’t actually absorb Vitamin D as well.Vitamin D is especially important because bone health is a much bigger problem in women, who are four times more likely to develop osteoporosis than men.Heyliger also said menopause can cause women to have a lower bone mineral density, so women may need to get their numbers in check with a doctor’s guidance.”It all depends on where you’re at. If you truly are Vitamin D deficient based on your levels, sometimes you’re taking 50,000 units weekly. Sometimes, if you’re just kind of on that fine line or you are someone who, let’s say, maybe you’re a little Vitamin D deficient, but you do work outside, then maybe we would have you take a lesser unit. It’s hard to kind of just give a one (size) fits all,” Heyliger told WBAL-TV 11 News.Heyliger said that while Vitamin D deficiency is hard to diagnose, testing can confirm it. She said some people experience symptoms like fatigue, muscle aches or weakness and even bone pain.Heyliger also said that a healthy amount of Vitamin D to take daily would be the amount in a multivitamin. She said if you take just Vitamin D, check with your doctor to ensure it’s a dose that is most beneficial for you.
BALTIMORE —
Vitamin D is a crucial nutrient that maintains bone health, but some women are deficient.
When thinking about Vitamin D, some may think simply about going outside in the sunlight, but that’s not always enough to fix a deficiency.
While sitting out in the sun can help, it’s not a total fix. Mercy Medical Center physician assistant Jaelyn Heyliger told WBAL-TV 11 News that sunlight exposure comes with a risk for skin cancer and that people with darker skin tones don’t actually absorb Vitamin D as well.
Vitamin D is especially important because bone health is a much bigger problem in women, who are four times more likely to develop osteoporosis than men.
Heyliger also said menopause can cause women to have a lower bone mineral density, so women may need to get their numbers in check with a doctor’s guidance.
“It all depends on where you’re at. If you truly are Vitamin D deficient based on your levels, sometimes you’re taking 50,000 units weekly. Sometimes, if you’re just kind of on that fine line or you are someone who, let’s say, maybe you’re a little Vitamin D deficient, but you do work outside, then maybe we would have you take a lesser unit. It’s hard to kind of just give a one (size) fits all,” Heyliger told WBAL-TV 11 News.
Heyliger said that while Vitamin D deficiency is hard to diagnose, testing can confirm it. She said some people experience symptoms like fatigue, muscle aches or weakness and even bone pain.
Heyliger also said that a healthy amount of Vitamin D to take daily would be the amount in a multivitamin. She said if you take just Vitamin D, check with your doctor to ensure it’s a dose that is most beneficial for you.