from the Scientific American, Nov. 2007.

"...an adult woman with white skin exposed to summer sunlight while wearing a bikini generates about 10,000 units of vitamin D in 15 or 20 minutes. Longer exposures do not generate more vitamin D......"

So it looks like the health benefits of sunshine can be obtained with a fairly limited exposure to sunlight. The skin's anti-oxidant systems are protective for about 45 minutes.

Vitamin D supplements are also of help but you may need 1,000 units daily. But some of our clients who suffer depression on the winter (SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder) have told me that extra vitamin D alone did not relieve the depression but that brief times in tanning booths did work for them.

So we all may need more supplemental vitamin D plus a little more sunshine in our lives.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: SkinBiologyWebmaster,

I think that you just like looking at women in bikinis!

Well, yes I do. But the bikini phrase was in the Scientific American article in November.