About 2,000 IU Vitamin D daily
= 50,000 IU vitamin D pill costing 20 cents, taken once per month. Example: Bio-Tech on Amazon
= 2 hours of sunbathing (summer, light skin, young, not obese, etc)
= 8 tanning bed sessions (same as sunbathing, without the seasonal restriction)
Note: most people need > 2,000 IU daily
Effect of vitamin D supplementation and ultraviolet B exposure on serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations in healthy volunteers:
a randomized, crossover clinical trial.
Br J Dermatol. 2013 Aug;169(2):434-40. doi: 10.1111/bjd.12349.
Lagunova Z 1, Porojnicu AC, Aksnes L, Holick MF, Iani V, Bruland OS, Moan J.
1Department of Radiation Biology, Oslo University Hospital the Norwegian Radium Hospital, Montebello, Oslo, Norway.
BACKGROUND:
Solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation during the summer and vitamin D supplementation are two major sources of vitamin D for humans at northern latitudes. However, little is known about the relative efficiency of these two vitamin D sources.
OBJECTIVES:
The main goal was to compare the efficiency of high-dose oral vitamin D3 supplementation (2000 IU per day for 30 days) with a simulated summer UV exposure [10 sunbed sessions to a total dose of 23·8 standard erythema doses (SED)] to improve vitamin D status.
METHODS:
Healthy volunteers were randomized into two groups: group 1 received vitamin D supplementation followed by 10 whole-body sunbed exposures; group 2 started with 10 sunbed exposures followed by vitamin D supplementation.
RESULTS:
The oral supplementation with vitamin D3 resulted in a mean (SEM) serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] increase of 25·3 (5·4) nmol L(-1) . A similar increase, 19·8 (5·4) nmol L(-1) , was observed after simulated summer UV exposure. At the end of the study, serum 25(OH)D concentrations were similar in both groups.
CONCLUSIONS:
Twice-weekly whole-body sunbed exposure to a dose of 4·8 SED is equal to 2000 IU daily of oral vitamin D supplementation for 30 days and enough to achieve and maintain serum 25(OH)D concentrations > 75 nmol L(-1) in ~55% of cases. Based on our calculations, this dose corresponds to a cumulative weekly whole-body exposure of 3·4 SED (~ 40 min around midday during the summer at the latitude of Oslo).
PMID: 23551243
See also VitaminDWiki
- Sun and UV section
- 60 minutes of sunlight needed to decrease vitamin D deficiency in sunny climate – Dec 2012 this was NOT full body sunbathing
- How often might 50,000 IU vitamin D be taken - results of clinical trials
- 50,000 IU of vitamin D monthly in winter gets most above 20 ng – RCT Nov 2013
- 50,000 IU monthly safe to take without any vitamin D testing – RCT Dec 2013
- Half of the seniors needed more than 1700 IU vitamin D3 (50000 monthly) – April 2011
- 1700 IU daily average restored HIV vitamin D levels (50000 monthly) – Aug 2012 has the following chart