Narrowband Ultraviolet B Exposures Maintain Vitamin D Levels During Winter: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Acta Derm Venereol. 2015 Nov 3. doi: 10.2340/00015555-2269. [Epub ahead of print]
Karppinen T1, Ala-Houhala MJ, Ylianttila L, Kautiainen H, Viljakainen H, Reunala T, Snellman E.
1Department of Dermatology, Tampere University Hospital, PO Box 2000, FIN-33521 Tampere, Finland. toni.karppinen at epilaser.fi, karppinen.toni.t at student.uta.fi.
UVB just strong enough to make a slight reddening
On entire body (not just upper or lower)
| VitaminD levels | October | April |
| UVB twice a month | 32 ng | 36 ng |
| UVB - none | 31 ng | 26 ng |
Notes:
- Commerical tanning beds typically have a lot of UVA in addition to UVB
- UVA appears to decrease the effective production of Vitamin D by UVB
- Treatments every 18-22 days (instead of 14) might have resulted in no change from Oct to April.
- Guess: Each treatment takes 3-15 minutes
much longer if use less intense sun or only illuminate one side - 3X-5X longer times for those who do not produce Vitamin D as efficiently
elderly, those with darker skins, etc - 2X-5X longer times also needed for those who need much larger doses to get the same response
Obese, poor liver, poor gut, smokers, people with diseases which consume Vitamin D - such as Multiple Sclerosis
See also Vitamin D Life
- Overview UV and vitamin D
- Vitamin D bulb for use in the home - or perhaps office
- UVA decreased serum levels of vitamin D - RCT Oct 2012
- Vitamin D from phototherapy lamps, tanning beds, and the sun – Jan 2012
- Sun is better than UV, which is better than Vitamin D
- Many other anti-cancer photoproducts generated on the skin in addition to vitamin D – Jan 2014
- 20 cent vitamin D pill similar to 2 hours sunbathing at 60 degree latitude – RCT Aug 2013
- 3X more vitamin D from the sun if take MS drug Interferon-β – July 2012
- Tanning beds UVB vary by 4X
- Use of tanning beds would reduce associated deaths by 10X – Oct 2011
3 tanning sessions raised vitamin D levels about 4 nanograms for about 4 weeks – July 2016
Exposure to solar ultraviolet B radiation during the summer months is the main source of vitamin D (VD) for people living in northern latitudes. The aim of this study was to determine whether artificial narrowband ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) whole-body exposures could maintain VD levels in winter. The intervention group received 2 standard erythema doses (SEDs) of NB-UVB exposures every second week from October 2013 to April 2014. In October 2013 serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations were 78.3 nmol/l in the intervention group (n = 16) and 76.8 nmol/l in the control group (n = 18). By April 2014 the concentrations had increased by 11.7 nmol/l (p = 0.029) in the intervention group and decreased by 11.1 nmol/l (p = 0.022) in the control group. The baseline VD concentration showed a negative correlation (p = 0.012) with body mass index (BMI). In conclusion, a suberythemal NB-UVB dose of 2 SED every second week maintains and even increases serum VD concentrations during the winter. A high BMI seems to predispose subjects to low levels of VD.
PMID: 26524984