Fair Skin No Advantage for Vitamin D from Sun

UVB (ultraviolet B) radiation increases serum vitamin D. Previously it was thought that dark skinned people produced very little vitamin D in their skin from the sun as the melanin acts as a blockout. However, a study in the Joural of Dermatology Oct 8, 2009 found no differences in vitamin D increase after UVB exposure for both fair and dark skinned participants. They did find, however, that the higher the cholesterol of participants, the greater the increase in vitamin D.