Supplements as “Safest Way” to Boost Vitamin D Levels

In that 1.5 million Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer annually, a new computer simulation model from researchers at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (New York, USA), and colleagues strongly supports Vitamin D3 dietary supplementation as the “safest way” to acquire adequate Vitamin D levels.  Vitaly Terushkin and colleagues employed a computer model to determine optimal sun exposure times to produce blood levels of vitamin D3 equivalent to 400 or 1000 IU of vitamin D. Varying their calculations for geographical locations and months of the year, the team found that cutaneous vitamin D synthesis (promoted by exposure to sunlight) is an intricate process and depends on numerous variables, with the results varying considerably by geography, season, and skin type.     As such, the researchers urge that: “Although it may be tempting to recommend intentional sun exposure based on our findings, it is difficult, if not impossible to titrate one's exposure. There are well-known detrimental side effects of ultraviolet irradiation. Therefore, oral supplementation remains the safest way for increasing vitamin D status.”