The Sunlight Institute
Vitamin D & Tanning
About Vitamin D
As we become more increasingly aware of the benefits associated with regular exposure to sunlight, UVB rays found in tanning beds also trigger the synthesis of the vitamin D precursor in the skin. Ultraviolet light exposure from the sun or from an indoor tanning unit is essential for human health, and getting it in a non-burning fashion is the smartest way. A tan is the body's natural protection against sunburn. Your skin is designed to tan as a natural body function. By tanning, the body produces Vitamin D naturally accounting for 90 percent of vitamin D production. When the skin is exposed to sunlight, the natural tanning happens in your skins epidermis the outer layer of skin. When our skin cells called melanocytes are exposed to ultraviolet light (UV) they produce the browning pigment called melanin thus giving you a bronzed tan.
Vitamin D deficiency has become a recognized epidemic in America, linked to significantly higher rates of many forms of cancer as well as heart disease, osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis and many other conditions and diseases. Sunlight is the best and only natural source of Vitamin D. Unlike dietary or supplementary vitamin D, when you get your "D" from sunshine your body takes what it needs, and de-metabolizes any extra. That's crucial- as Vitamin D experts and many health institutions now advocate 1,000 to 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily- almost 10 times the old recommended use. Because too much "D" from dietary supplements may cause the body to over-process calcium, nobody really knows for sure how much supplementary vitamin d is safe.
On the other hand, sunlight-induced vitamin D doesn't have that problem - it's the way your body is intended to make it!
