LEDs Outperform Sunshine

A recent study at the Boston University School of Medicine found that skin samples exposed to ultraviolet LEDs produced twice as much vitamin D3 in just over 30 seconds than samples exposed to sunlight for slightly over 30 minutes.

Vital exposure

The role of ultraviolet radiation in producing vitamin D3 has been well understood for many years. Vitamin D deficiency leads in extreme cases to rickets and causes fatigue and bone weakness. Regular exposure to sunlight is vital, but some people have problems that can benefit from a more targeted delivery of UVB.

Medical device development

The ability to make LEDs that emit UV encouraged the team at Boston University to investigate their efficiency and potential in this area. Dr Holick, the head of the research team, is confident that the results point to “significant health implications for medical device development in the future that can be used for providing vitamin D supplementation to patients with fat malabsorption syndromes as well as patients with other metabolic abnormalities including patients with chronic kidney disease.”