Benefits and Risks of Sun Exposure to Maintain Adequate Vitamin D Levels

Vitamin D is a hormone that can be generated in the skin upon ultraviolet light exposure or ingested through supplementation. Vitamin D deficiency may have numerous deleterious effects on health. Sun avoidance strategies should be avoided due to the unwanted health risks associated with hypovitaminosis D. We present an objective investigation of the benefits and risks of using sun exposure to increase vitamin D levels and how it impacts human health. A review of the literature was conducted using Embase and PubMed to examine the relationship between UV exposure, vitamin D levels, health benefits, and risks. UV exposure is the primary method of boosting serum vitamin D levels, which accounts for numerous health benefits. Higher levels of vitamin D are associated with protection against cancer development, including melanoma. Latitude, season, skin color, and sun protection determine UV absorption and vitamin D production. Public health sun protection guidelines decrease the incidence of skin cancer, but sun avoidance can cause hypovitaminosis D. Serum vitamin D levels less than 16 nmol/L increase morbidity through increased non-cutaneous disease. Sun protection strategies should still be implemented to reduce skin cancer, and sunscreen only minimally lowers vitamin D production. Vitamin D deficiency can increase chronic diseases and cancer, while adequate vitamin D levels can help prevent them. UV exposure and vitamin D production are dependent on many factors. Increasing UV exposure without causing sunburn maximizes vitamin D production.