Recommended summer sunlight exposure amounts fail to produce sufficient vitamin D status in UK adults of South Asian origin

Background: The cutaneous synthesis of vitamin D is dependent on UVB from sunlight, but melanin reduces the penetration of UVB and thus contributes to vitamin D insufficiency in individuals with darker skin. The national guidance provided on amounts of sunlight exposure in the United Kingdom is for the light-skinned population, and in the absence of dedicated information, darker-skinned people may attempt to follow this guidance. Objectives: We determined the relative effect of a simulation of UK recommendations of summer sunlight exposure on the vitamin D status of individuals of South Asian ethnicity compared with that of whites. Design: In a prospective cohort study, simulated summer sunlight exposures were provided under rigorous dosimetric conditions to 15 adults (aged 20-60 y) of South Asian ethnicity, and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] was measured weekly. Dietary vitamin D intake was estimated. Outcomes were compared with those of 109 whites (aged 20-60 y) treated with the identical UV-radiation exposure protocol. Results: At baseline (winter trough), all South Asians were vitamin D-insufficient [25(OH)D concentrations