Reintroduction of a classic vitamin D ultraviolet source

As early as 1930 sunlamps claiming to provide ultraviolet (UV) exposure to make vitamin D were sold to the public in the US and Canada for home use. Today even with dietary supplementation of vitamin D many people do not get enough solar UV exposure to maintain sufficient vitamin D levels. There is growing interest in the availability of sunlamps for this purpose. The original Sperti Sunlamp, with label claiming vitamin D benefit was approved by the American Medical Association in 1940 as a sunlamp. This intermediate pressure mercury lamps ultraviolet B emission lines, at 297, 302, and 313 nm are able to convert 7-dehydrocholesterol in the skin to vitamin pre-D3 initiating the natural process of vitamin D formation. Today's KBD Vitamin D lamp, an updated model of the earlier type source. In order to comply with modern safety guidance, the source is filtered to remove unnecessary UVC radiation and is equipped with a timer to control the dose administered. The 5 min timer provides an exposure, at 20 in. from the user's skin, of one standard erythemal dose (SED). The SED represents a suberythemal dose for even the most sensitive skin type I individual. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.