Q. I’ve become concerned about not getting enough vitamin D in the wintertime. Would a sunlamp help me get my vitamin D level up?
I also tend to get a little blue during the gray days of winter. Might the sunlamp help with that, too?
A. For most of human history the major way of getting adequate vitamin D was sun exposure. Few of us now get enough sunshine in the wintertime to maintain healthy levels of this nutrient.
Sunlamp Can Trigger Vitamin D Production
It is possible to get vitamin D by exposing your skin to a lamp that emits UVB (ultraviolet B radiation). Dermatologists generally discourage this approach as it can increase the risk for skin aging or cancer. They often recommend an oral supplement to boost vitamin D levels.
Light Therapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder
Winter blues, symptoms of depression that arise during winter months and fade at other times of the year, are technically termed seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Light therapy can be effective for this condition (Chronobiology International, Apr. 2014).
However, the bright light used to treat SAD has a different wavelength and will not produce vitamin D in the skin.
If you want to use lamps for both problems, you’ll need to invest in two different fixtures, and they can be pricey.
