Vitamin D transforming the cooked to the cool!

Combatting sunburn with high dose vitamin D may leave you feeling as cool as a cucumber, according to a new double-blind placebo-controlled trail.

Twenty study participants received 50,000, 100,000 or 200,000 IU of vitamin D or placebo one hour after their inner arm was sunburnt by a UV lamp. When examined 24, 48, 72 hours and 1 week later, those that consumed the highest dose showed less skin inflammation 48 hours post-burn.

Participants with the highest blood levels of vitamin D (equivalent to 100 nmol/L) had less skin redness and a spike in gene activity relating to skin repair.