Frequently Asked Questions

• How is UV good for me?

  UV, specifically UV-B, can initiate the synthesis of vitamin D in the skin. We eat very little vitamin D (the main food source is fatty fish like salmon and mackerel), so the sun is the main source of vitamin D for many people.

  Vitamin D is necessary for a healthy skeleton. Without it, children will suffer from rickets and adults from osteomalacia. It is also implicated as a risk factor in osteoporosis. In recent years it has been suggested that Vitamin D also has many other effects, including a protective effect against many internal cancers, multiple sclerosis, diabetes and hypertension. The evidence for these claims is increasing, but these effects are not yet as widely accepted as bone health in being attributable to Vitamin D (and hence, to a large degree, to UV-B exposure).