2023 Premier’s NSW Export Awards Finalists  

A recent paper published in Clinical Nutrition on Vitamin-D, showed that “UVB-induced dermal synthesis can meet 80–100% of vitamin D requirements, making sunshine the most important natural source of vitamin D for many.” The study concluded that UVB exposure was strongly associated with vitamin D levels. The increase was most obvious among Whites, at 35%, compared to 20% and 15% for Black and Asian participants, respectively. Vitamin D is produced in the skin following exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB); however, the amount of vitamin D produced through this process depends on the individual’s skin colour and age, as well as the

Menarini India Private Limited (“Menarini India”), part of the Menarini Group, the world’s largest Italian biopharmaceutical company, announces the launch of ‘Solar D®’ sunscreen – a breakthrough innovation in dermatology in over 70 years. The groundbreaking SPF technology is specifically designed and formulated to prevent sunburn or sun damage while allowing the passage of sufficient UVB light that our bodies use to naturally produce vitamin D. Read more here

For the 4th year running, L’Oreal Innovation Runway 2020 is calling for startups from the many fields of deep tech and various industries to shape the future of beauty together. Let’s co-create revolutionary solutions that are scalable, sustainable, and environmentally-friendly to transform the industry! The challenge from L’Oreal was to provide solutions that can further improve our products in the categories of Protection, Cleanliness, Repairing and Enhancing, and the introduction of New Ingredients & Materials. Read more here

What makes a person more likely to contract COVID-19? A lack of Vitamin D that was determined by the measurement of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the blood, according to a new study of more than 190,000 people led by Michael F. Holick, PhD, MD, professor of Medicine, Physiology and Biophysics and Molecular Medicine at Boston University Medical Campus Vitamin D is known to affect both the innate and adaptive immune systems and may have a role in protecting against respiratory infections. Previous small studies have suggested a relationship between vitamin D deficiency and risk of infections and mortality from COVID-19, but

A new study that looked at 216 people with COVID-19 found that 80 percent didn’t have adequate levels of vitamin D in their blood. The study also found that people who had both COVID-19 and lower vitamin D levels also had a higher number of inflammatory markers such as ferritin and D-dimer, which have been linked to poor COVID-19 outcomes. A different study found that COVID-19 patients who had adequate vitamin D levels had a 51.5 percent lower risk of dying from the disease and a significant reduced risk for complications. Medical experts theorize that maintaining adequate vitamin D levels

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of vitamin D3 on total homocysteine (tHcy) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and liver and kidney function tests in overweight women with vitamin D deficiency. Therefore, a randomised, double-blind placebo, controlled clinical trial was conducted on 100 eligible women. Subjects were randomly divided into two groups: the placebo (n 50) and the vitamin D (n 50) which received 1250 µg vitamin D3 per week for 2 months. The participants’ 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), tHcy, CRP, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), urea, creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were measured and compared before and

Question  Is vitamin D status, reflecting vitamin D levels and treatment, associated with test results for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)? Findings  In this cohort study of 489 patients who had a vitamin D level measured in the year before COVID-19 testing, the relative risk of testing positive for COVID-19 was 1.77 times greater for patients with likely deficient vitamin D status compared with patients with likely sufficient vitamin D status, a difference that was statistically significant. Meaning  These findings appear to support a role of vitamin D status in COVID-19 risk; randomized clinical trials are needed to determine whether broad population interventions and

BOSTON (CBS) – Many people are getting the message loud and clear. That sunscreen helps protect you against skin cancer. But some experts say all that sunscreen is creating another problem. “That is the major cause for the vitamin D epidemic worldwide,” says Dr. Michael F. Holick, an endocrinologist at the BU School of Medicine. “Sunscreen absorbs ultraviolet light and ultraviolet light makes vitamin D in your skin, and if you put a sunscreen on with an SPF of 30 and it absorbs about 97-98% of the UV light, it will reduce the ability to make vitamin D in your

As a health conscious individual or parent, all you hear from your doctor is – sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen! But is it that black or white? Will not using sunscreen shorten your lifespan or lengthen it? Listen to GrassrootsHealth researcher, Dr. Edward Gorham, Ph.D., explain why he thinks healthy sun (without sunscreen) is good for your health. Edward Gorham, Ph.D., considers the evidence on sun exposure. This presentation talks in depth about the difference between UVA and UVB exposure, the body’s physiological response to each type of irradiance, and how sun exposure and sunscreens affect the risk of melanoma and vitamin

Relying on sunscreen to protect us from harmful rays isn’t doing our vitamin D levels any favours, say a team of researchers. Figures suggests 75% of people in the US are deficient in vitamin D, including 95% of African Americans. These figures have climbed dramatically since the early 90s, when fewer than half the country needed to rely on vitamin D supplements for their health. Most researchers put this figure down to people spending more time inside these days, but a new paper suggests a more controversial theory. The researchers say we are wearing so much sunscreen in our fear

People are told to put on sunscreen to help protect against sunburn and skin cancer. But by doing so, are they depriving themselves of necessary vitamin D? A clinical review in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association shows that nearly 1 billion people around the world aren’t, and it may be due to chronic disease or lack of exposure to the sun. Read more here.

The CEO of Solar D hopes that all sunscreens in the future will feature the vitamin D boosting-technology that’s currently exclusive to his brand. “When the first water-resistant sunscreen came out, there was only one but within three years virtually every sunscreen was water resistant,” said Collett. “Our long-term goal is that every sunscreen on the shelf has our technology, which would be a dream.” Vitamin D deficiency affects more than 1 billion people worldwide and has been linked with various cancers, Alzheimer’s, heart disease and depression. Solar D uses patented UVB Filtering Technology that lets in some of the

Epidemiological evidence suggests that vitamin D can protect women from developing breast cancer (BC). This study reveals that vitamin D and its receptor regulate autophagy in both normal mammary epithelial cells and luminal BCs, and suggests a potential mechanism underlying the link between vitamin D levels and BC risk. In addition, this work suggests that vitamin D receptor ligands could be exploited therapeutically for the treatment of a significant subset of BCs. Read more here.

Despite plentiful sun, Vitamin D (aka sunshine vitamin) deficiency is reaching epidemic proportions in India, warns Dr Michael Holick, Endocrinologist and global authority on Vitamin D therapy. Recent studies have revealed that 65-70 per cent Indians are Vitamin D deficient and another 15 per cent are insufficient. Wondering what’s all the fuss about? For starters, Vitamin D is not a simple vitamin. It is a steroid hormone that impacts virtually every cell in the body. It is synthesised in the skin on exposure to sunshine and is needed to absorb calcium and for bone health. Read more here.

Watch the recent interview with CEO Mathew Collett talking about Solar D’s ground breaking technology. Link here to interview.

Millions of Britons should be encouraged to take vitamin D supplements this winter because they could help fight the coronavirus, according to a report commissioned by the government’s chief scientific adviser. Read more 

Patients with COVID-19 requiring ICU admission are more likely to have vitamin D deficiency compared with those managed on medical wards, according to a retrospective study. Read more

Although most of the health-promoting benefits of sun exposure are thought to occur through vitamin D photosynthesis, there may be other health benefits that have gone largely overlooked in the debate over how much sun is needed for good health. Read more

Results from a clinical review find nearly 1 billion people worldwide may have deficient or insufficient levels of vitamin D due to chronic disease and inadequate sun exposure related to sunscreen use. Read more

A three-part strategy of increasing food fortification programs with vitamin D, sensible sun exposure recommendations and encouraging ingestion of a vitamin D supplement when needed should be implemented to prevent global vitamin D deficiency and its negative health consequences. Read more

Solar D, a sunscreen that for the first time enables the body to produce vitamin D with no loss of sun protection factor, will be on sale in the US from this summer. A study published in PLOS ONE describes the findings. Read more