the Burning Question: Do we need to get more sun?(Brief Article)

Byline: Eve Conant

Just when you thought it was safe to go indoors, along comes Michael Holick, Ph.D., M.D., a Boston University professor and author of The UV Advantage (ibooks, 2004). Nothing has incited more derm warfare than his claim that America is suffering a vitamin D-deficiency epidemic and that we've been "brainwashed into thinking all sun exposure is bad for your health." The so-called sunshine vitamin is made by the skin when it's exposed to sunlight and helps the body absorb calcium.

Holick's most recent research, published in the Journal of Nutrition in November, links low levels of vitamin D to everything from multiple sclerosis to rheumatoid arthritis and cancer. "We need just a few minutes of sun, two or three times a week, without sunscreen," argues Holick. "It's essential for bone health and muscle function, and ...