LED lights effective in producing Vitamin D3 than sunlight

Most people make vitamin D staying out in the sun daily for short periods with their forearms, hands or lower legs uncovered and without sunscreen. Our body creates vitamin D from direct sunlight on our skin staying in outdoors.

Researchers found that light from RayVio"s 293nm ultraviolet (UV) LED is more efficient than sunlight at producing vitamin D3 in skin samples. Tyler Kalajian and his research team, led by Dr. Michael F. Holick, Ph.D., M.D., and supported by Boston University School of Medicine and a Boston University Ignition Award, found that skin samples exposed to RayVio"s UV LED for just 0.52 minutes. Produced more than twice as much vitamin D3 as samples exposed to 32.5 minutes of sunlight.

About Vitamin D3 Two forms of vitamin D are important to humans vitamin D2 produced by plants, yeast and mushrooms. VitaminD3 produced by skin when exposed to sunlight or the appropriate wavelength of ultraviolet light. Moreover, U.S. alone, seventy-five percent of teens and adults are vitamin D deficient. Research team and the pioneering work of the Boston University Photonics Center on UV LEDs. We may soon see innovative treatment options like simple integration with a wearable device could aid millions of people.

Photo pharmacology

The research shows RayVio"s UV LEDs  used for treating patients suffering with vitamin D deficiency. A vitamin D3 producing UV LED device used on skin areas that experience less exposure to sunlight such as upper legs and arms and abdomen and back. thus minimizing risk for developing non-melanoma skin cancer. Further, the UV LED device also emits much narrower band of UVB light and decreasing likelihood of skin damage that can occur when the skin is exposed to higher wavelengths of UV radiation.



Vitamin D deficiency associated with osteoporosis, rickets and other metabolic bone diseases. More prevalent in northern and southern latitudes where sunlight is limited for a significant part of the year. However, the device for making vitamin D is applicable for patients with fat malabsorption syndromes including inflammatory bowel disease and gastric bypass surgery.

They tested ultraviolet LEDs from different sources and at different wavelengths. RayVio"s 293nm LED showed the most significant potential for vitamin D3 production in the shortest amount of time," said Dr. Holick, a Professor of Medicine, Physiology and Biophysics at Boston University School of Medicine, and endocrinologist at Boston Medical Center. "This study leads to a new generation of technology labeled as photo pharmacology. The use of LEDs with targeted wavelengths can cause specific biologic effects in human skin to help treat and prevent chronic illnesses."

In addition, the potential of digital UV technology for phototherapy is enormous, said Dr. Robert C. Walker, RayVio"s CEO. "Dr. Holick"s research with our UVB LEDs demonstrates the potential for new applications that can potentially improve and save hundreds of thousands of lives.