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Narrow band UVb light bulbs do give the full spectrum of rays, I don't think they've created the technology yet to only do narrowband uvb. I've read what they do is to give the light in a greater ratio of narrowband uvb:uvb:ova. What this does is let your skin tolerate a greater dose of the artificial light before burning.

Problem for me is that where I live (rain forest) we get plenty of sunshine - liquid sunshine. I would like recommendations (make/model) of tanning light. Some sun on my horizon but I find it difficult to stay out in it (heat).

Thx for the info + links Cheer.

Interesting info on the modern problem of humans not getting sufficient daylight. Humans evolved over thousands of years using mainly sunlight (even in northern climes) as lighting. In the last 200 years we find many diseases from lack of sunlight starting with Ricketts. In the 19/20th century MS increased rapidly as did vascular diseases, cancer and immune system diseases. Human skin is great at adsorbing sunshine and creating NO, vitD etc. Please remember that our forfathers/mothers started getting low doses of sunlight in spring and had built up protection in time for summer. Flying to the sun and sunbathing was not available and our skin is not adapted to cope with this. 200 years is no time in terms of human evolution so we will need supplements and moderate sunbathing to cope with the 21st century.
I would be interested to know if anyone finds a sunlamp which produces NO and D3 with a healthy tan but does not cause skin cancers. For those, like me, who are not fortunate enough to live in Southern California or such a climate.
Kind regards,
MarkW

Mark, I don't think any lamp exists that doesn't have the risk of skin cancer. I bought a narrow band uvb light because it minimises the chance of skin cancer. Apparently your skin only produces a limited amount of vitamin d, and that limit is reached before your skin changes colour. I don't think much research has been done yet on NO. The other thing the sun is known to be needed for is the regulation of t cells. I don't think much research has been done on that either. And who knows what else the sun gives us. I bought a narrowband uvb lamp in December, I do a minute front and a minute back 4 - 5 times per week. As with everything, I'm not sure if it's doing much for my ms but at very least it does appear to have cured my eczema.

By some interesting coincidence, the news this morning featured a story about some study that showed that UVA can cause cancer too. I bet you could show that any indoor light causes cancer. Anyway, moderation. Was it here I read you could get 10,000 units of vitamin D from 10 minutes of full-body sun? (don't forget to turn over ) Maybe nowadays it's hard to be out for 10 m. without a burn, but maybe there is a safe level, and there must be an evolutionary reason for nitric oxide production. That would mean maybe UVB is still safer, because the shorter the wavelength, the less likely solar radiation will get through the atmosphere.

And many other maybes.

dropping in without properly reading both pages but.. vieth is good for 1eye's kind of question...

Vitamin D supplementation, 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations, and safety
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/69/5/842.full
"Total-body sun exposure easily provides the equivalent of 250 μg (10000 IU) vitamin D/d, suggesting that this is a physiologic limit "
"At least 4 studies support the concept that one full-body exposure to sunlight can be equivalent to an oral vitamin D intake of 250 μg (10000 IU). "
vieth also cites holick wrt timing (previtamin d3 concentrations peak after 20 mins)

related study http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2165512
"cutaneous synthesis of vitamin D3 is stimulated by the same wavelengths (290 to 320 nm, ultraviolet light B [UVB])"

hey Jimmy-
we're discussing how UV rays affect the body independent of vitamin D levels....via enhanced nitric oxide production and endothelial health--called "photorelaxtion." And why that might be important to pwMS. (page one is pretty good on this thread.)
The best way to do that is to find some sunshine and get it on your body for about 15 minutes a day. If that's not possible, UV lamps used in moderation are OK--but consulting with a doctor is always a good idea, especially if cancer is a concern.


cheer

thx cheer - made me recall earlier chats re pineal gland function and UV light, which sent me off on a whole other tangent resulting in these finds

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photosensi ... glion_cell

Equilibrium User Centred Lighting Design
Towards the development of a lighting design that is individually psychologically, physiologically and visually supportive
http://publications.lib.chalmers.se/publication/165472
http://publications.lib.chalmers.se/rec ... 165472.pdf

I went back and read the first post - and would tend to disagree with the author's assertion that "until now it was thought that sunlight's only benefit to human health was production of vitamin D, which rises after exposure to the sun." although it is tough to run a search on health benefits of sunlight that doesn't swamp you with vit D results, that's for sure

I went back and read the first post - and would tend to disagree with the author's assertion that "until now it was thought that sunlight's only benefit to human health was production of vitamin D, which rises after exposure to the sun." although it is tough to run a search on health benefits of sunlight that doesn't swamp you with vit D results, that's for sure

Yes, the sun has long been known as a cure for skin disease, which is why they manufacture my light in the first place. When my daughter was born she had slight jaundice and I was told to put her in the sunlight.

We evolved in the sun, I've got to believe that it gives us all sorts if things we don't yet know about.

trisca wrote:Mark, I don't think any lamp exists that doesn't have the risk of skin cancer. I bought a narrow band uvb light because it minimises the chance of skin cancer. c and that limit is reached before your skin changes colour. I don't think much research has been done yet on NO. The other thing the sun is known to be needed for is the regulation of t cells. I don't think much research has been done on that either. And who knows what else the sun gives us. I bought a narrowband uvb lamp in December, I do a minute front and a minute back 4 - 5 times per week. As with everything, I'm not sure if it's doing much for my ms but at very least it does appear to have cured my eczema.

Hello Trisca,
In this piece you say "Apparently your skin only produces a limited amount of vitamin d,". In fact the skin produces large amounts of vit D3 when exposed to the sun. Ed (sweakycat) has posted much info on the vit d3 thread. If the skin produces more D3 than the body needs immediately it is stored in fat (vit D3 is a fat soluble vitamin).
I have not seen any papers on storage of NO. As NO is an inorganic compound and water soluble I guess that is not stored long term.
kind regards,
MarkW

What this does is let your skin tolerate a greater dose of the artificial light before burning.

I thought I had this straight. If we're talking wave lengths, I thought uvB was shorter, more energetic, and more likely to burn than uvA which is something like you get from a "black light". Somebody said uvC couldn't affect us because it can't get through the atmosphere, but I bet you can get it from a lamp. It being even higher energy than the other 2, it probably make worse problems. Use caution.

New study:

Higher levels of reported sun exposure, and not vitamin D status, are associated with less depressive symptoms and fatigue in multiple sclerosis.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23763464

could this be due to the nitric oxide release we experience when in sunshine?
Is this scientific proof of John Denver's claim that "sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy?" (Yes, I am old)
cheer

Thanks Cheer...research continues to support the vascular connection and the importance of blood flow.
Here is a presentation by Dr. Richard Weller discussing the link between sun exposure and nitric oxide release.

cheer and pairOdime,
In Dr. Wellers' presentation, just about the 10min. mark , he discusses nitrates and nitrites before he mentions NO.
Can either of you understand what he is saying regarding the connection to NO? How do they (nitrates/nitrites)
differ from those found in processed meats and where do they come from? thanks for the links

Dr. Weller mentions leafy green vegetables in his presentation. Here is some additional information from another source.....

The amount of Nitric Oxide activity that can be gained from food sources is dependent upon the amount of nitrite, nitrate and antioxidants contained in the foods as well as the relative content of L-arginine and L-citrulline. All foods grown in the soil contain nitrate and some nitrite as a result of the nitrogen fixation during their growth cycles. Accumulation of nitrate is subject to factors including genotype, soil conditions, growth conditions (i.e., nitrate uptake, nitrate reductase activity and growth rate) as well as storage and transport conditions. Green leafy vegetables typically are the most rich food source of nitrite and nitrate and their high amount of antioxidants such as Vitamin C and polyphenols help facilitate the formation of Nitric Oxide when they are consumed.