Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The solar UV radiation level needed for cutaneous production of vitamin D3 in the face. A study conducted among subjects living at a high latitude (68° N)

  • Paper
  • Published:
Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Populations at high latitudes experience several winter months with insufficient UV solar radiation to induce a significant cutaneous production of vitamin D. This unique study was designed to pursue an in vivo threshold of UV radiation needed for cutaneous production of vitamin D to take place if only the face was exposed to UV radiation. The vitamin D status were measured by analyzing blood samples weekly from a study group of 15 subjects over a period of 2 months during late winter, when UV radiation can be expected to increase substantially from rising solar elevations. Statistical analysis showed no significant positive association between the mean UV radiation dose and the mean 25(OH)D (25-hydroxy vitamin D) for the group. On an individual basis, however, we found indications that subjects with very low initial concentration of 25(OH)D (<30 nmol l−1) seemed to respond to UV radiation as early as in the beginning of March. For other individuals diet seemed to be the dominant controlling factor for 25(OH)D levels.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. O. Engelsen, M. Brustad, L. Aksnes, E. Lund, Daily duration of vitamin D synthesis in human skin with relation to latitude total ozone, altitude, ground cover, aerosols and cloud thickness, Photochem. Photobiol., 2005, 81, 1287–1290.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. A. R. Webb, M. F. Holick, The role of sunlight in the cutaneous production of vitamin D, Annu. Rev. Nutr., 1988, 8, 375–399.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. E. Hypponen, E. Laara, A. Reunanen, M. R. Jarvelin, S. M. Virtanen, Intake of vitamin D and risk of type 1 diabetes: a birth-cohort study, Lancet, 2001, 358, 1500–1503.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. K. V. Pinette, Y. K. Yee, B. Y. Amegadzie, S. Nagpal, Vitamin D receptor as a drug discovery target, Mini Rev. Med. Chem., 2003, 3, 193–204.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. M. T. Cantorna, C. E. Hayes, H. F. DeLuca, 1,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol inhibits the progression of arthritis in murine models of human arthritis, J. Nutr., 1998, 128, 68–72.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. M. T. Cantorna, Vitamin D and its role in immunology: multiple sclerosis, and inflammatory bowel disease, Prog. Biophys. Mol. Biol., 2006, 92, 60–64.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. M. T. Cantorna, B. D. Mahon, Mounting evidence for vitamin D as an environmental factor affecting autoimmune disease prevalence, Exp. Biol. Med. (Maywood), 2004, 229, 1136–1142.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. W. B. Grant, Epidemiology of disease risk in relation to vitamin D insufficiency, Prog. Biophys. Mol. Biol., 2006, 92, 65–79.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. E. Giovannucci, The epidemiology of vitamin D and cancer incidence and mortality: A review (United States), Cancer Causes Control, 2005, 16, 83–95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. E. Giovannucci, Y. Liu, E. B. Rimm, B. W. Hollis, C. S. Fuchs, M. J. Stampfer, W. H. Willett, Prospective study of predictors of vitamin D status and cancer incidence and mortality in men, J. Natl. Cancer Inst., 2006, 98, 451–459.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Y. Cui, T. E. Rohan, Vitamin D, calcium, and breast cancer risk: a review, Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., 2006, 15, 1427–1437.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. H. S. Lim, R. Roychoudhuri, J. Peto, G. Schwartz, P. Baade, H. Moller, Cancer survival is dependent on season of diagnosis and sunlight exposure, Int. J. Cancer, 2006, 119, 1530–1536.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. J. Moan, A. C. Porojnicu, T. E. Robsahm, A. Dahlback, A. Juzeniene, S. Tretli, W. Grant, Solar radiation, vitamin D and survival rate of colon cancer in Norway, J. Photochem. Photobiol., B, 2005, 78, 189–193.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. A. C. Porojnicu, T. E. Robsahm, A. H. Ree, J. Moan, Season of diagnosis is a prognostic factor in Hodgkin’s lymphoma: a possible role of sun-induced vitamin D, Br. J. Cancer, 2005, 93, 571–574.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. T. E. Robsahm, S. Tretli, A. Dahlback, J. Moan, Vitamin D3 from sunlight may improve the prognosis of breast-, colon- and prostate cancer (Norway), Cancer Causes Control, 2004, 15, 149–158.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. M. Brustad, T. Sandanger, T. Wilsgaard, L. Aksnes, E. Lund, Change in plasma levels of vitamin D after consumption of cod liver and fresh cod liver oil as part of the traditional north Norwegian fish dish ‘mølje’, Int. J. Circumpolar Health, 2003, 62, 40–53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. L. Y. Matsuoka, J. Wortsman, M. J. Dannenberg, B. W. Hollis, Z. Lu, M. F. Holick, Clothing prevents ultraviolet-B radiation-dependent photosynthesis of vitamin D3, J. Clin. Endocr. Metab., 1992, 75, 1099–1103.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. L. Y. Matsuoka, J. Wortsman, J. G. Haddad, P. Kolm, B. W. Hollis, Racial pigmentation and the cutaneous synthesis of vitamin D, Arch. Dermatol., 1991, 127, 536–538.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. A. Hjartake, E. Lund, K. S. Bjerve, Serum phospholipid fatty acid composition habitual intake of marine foods registered by a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire, Eur. J. Clin. Nutr., 1997, 51, 736–742.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. M. Brustad, T. Braaten, E. Lund, Predictors for cod-liver oil supplements use-the Norwegian Women and Cancer Study, Eur. J. Clin. Nutr., 2003, 51, 128–136.

    Google Scholar 

  21. M. Brustad, T. Sandanger, L. Aksnes, E. Lund, Vitamin D status in a rural population of northern Norway with high fish liver consumption, Publ. Health Nutr., 2004, 7, 783–789.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. M. Brustad, E. Alsaker, O. Engelsen, L. Aksnes, E. Lund, Vitamin D status of middle-aged women at 65–71° N in relation to dietary intake and exposure to ultraviolet radiation, Publ. Health Nutr., 2004, 7, 327–335.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. L. Aksnes, Simultaneous determination of retinol, alphatocopherol, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D in human serum by high-performance liquid chromatography, J. Pediatr. Gastr. Nutr., 1994, 18, 339–343.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. A. R. Webb, M. F. Holick, L. Kline, Influence of season and latitude on the cutaneous synthesis of vitamin D3: Exposure to winter sunlight in Boston and Edmonton will not promote vitamin D3 synthesis in human skin, J. Clin. Endocr. Metab., 1988, 67, 373–378.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. J. A. MacLaughlin, R. R. Anderson, M. F. Holick, Spectral character of sunlight modulates photosynthesis of previtamin D3 and its photoisomers in human skin, Science, 1982, 216, 1001–1003.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. M. F. Holick, R. Bouillon, J. Eisman, M. Garabedian, J. Kleinschmidt, T. Suda, I. Terentskaya and A. R. Webb, Commission Internationale de l’Eclariage (CIE), Technical Committe 6-54, Technical report: Action spectrum for the production of previtamin D3 in human skin, CIE, 2006, vol. 174.

    Google Scholar 

  27. B. Mayer, A. Kylling, Technical note: The libRadtran software package for radiative transfer calculations-description and examples of use, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 2005, 5, 1855–1877.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. M. K. Thomas, J. D. Lloyd, R. I. Thadhani, A. C. Shaw, D. J. Deraska, B. T. Kitch, E. C. Vamvakas, I. M. Dick, R. L. Prince, J. S. Finkelstein, Hypovitaminosis in medical inpatients, N. Engl. J. Med., 1998, 338, 777–783.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. E. B. Mawer, J. L. Berry, E. Sommer-Tsilenis, W. Beykirch, A. Kuhlwein, B. T. Rohde, Ultraviolet irradiation increases serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D in vitamin-D-replete adults, Miner. Electrol. Metab., 1984, 10, 117–121.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. A. P. Snell, W. J. MacLennan, J. C. Hamilton, Ultra-Violet irradiation and 25-hydroxy-vitamin D levels in sick old people, Age Ageing, 1978, 7, 225–228.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. T. B. Fitzpatrick, The validity and practicality of sun-reactive skin types I trough VI, Arch. Dermatol., 1988, 124, 869–871.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Community Medicine, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway

    Kåre Edvardsen & Magritt Brustad

  2. Norwegian Institute for Air Research, The Polar Environmental Centre, Tromsø, Norway

    Kåre Edvardsen & Ola Engelsen

  3. Department of Clinical Medicine, Section of Paediatrics, Bergen, Norway

    Lage Aksnes

Authors
  1. Kåre Edvardsen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Magritt Brustad
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ola Engelsen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Lage Aksnes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kåre Edvardsen.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Edvardsen, K., Brustad, M., Engelsen, O. et al. The solar UV radiation level needed for cutaneous production of vitamin D3 in the face. A study conducted among subjects living at a high latitude (68° N). Photochem Photobiol Sci 6, 57–62 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1039/b613263d

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/b613263d

Search

Navigation