Light, it's Good for your Health

Three quarters of U.S. teens and adults are deficient in Vitamin D. Possible reasons for this deficiency are traced to skin-cancer preventing care: long sleeves, sunscreen, staying inside. Our diets also do us a disservice with most of us consuming little amounts of vitamin D fortified products like: milk, salmon, mackerel, and tuna. Even those who have sun-exposure should still take a supplement of 5,000 IU/day. The basic idea here is, the further away you live from the equator and the darker your skin pigment the more vitamin D you should be taking. However, artificial light sources are now being incorporated for people that are deficient in the vitamin D intake. This way, you can control the amount of UVA/UVB exposure you have and still be exposed to the vitamin D benefits like: more serotonin production (better mood quality), healthy skin, and white blood cell production. Pictured is a tanning bed that only emits UVB light that provides the benefits of the sun without the tan. Perhaps the future of lighting design lies in this possible collaboration with your health. Not only can the show be entertaining, but also therapeutic harnessed with the benefits of artificial light!