A study included in the journal Cancer Causes and Control found that pale-skinned people often have vitamin D insufficiencies, particularly when they live in high latitudes or work indoors.

The authors tested 1,200 participants for their levels of vitamin D, finding that many of the fairer volunteers had suboptimal amounts of the nutrient in their systems. Researchers recommended that pale-skinned individuals consider taking daily dietary supplements that contain vitamin D.

Lead author Julia Newton-Bishop, who hails from the UK's University of Leeds, summed up the study succinctly.

"Fair-skinned individuals who burn easily are not able to make enough vitamin D from sunlight and so may need to take vitamin D supplements," she wrote. 

Further encouragement to try vitamin supplements comes from a study conducted at Northwestern University's Feinberg School. Led by professor Adam Murphy, the authors determined that African-American men who live in cloudy regions are 3.5 times more likely than their Caucasian counterparts to have a vitamin D deficiency.

Getting too little of this critical nutrient can adversely affect bone health, joint function, blood sugar metabolism and muscle function, the team warned.

What if an African-American man takes a small supplement containing the recommended daily intake of the vitamin, 600 international units? Researchers said this may not be enough.

"This study shows that the current one-size-fits-all recommendations for 600 international units (IU) of Vitamin D don't work. Skin color and sunlight exposure need to be considered for recommended daily allowances of Vitamin D," Murphy concluded.

He suggested that dark-skinned men who live in low-sunlight areas should consume closer to 2,500 IU of the vitamin via dietary supplements.

That said, scientists from Cantox Health Sciences International believe they have found a solution for this issue. As reported in a recent issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the team determined that exposing mushrooms to UVB rays can increase their vitamin D content sevenfold.

In effect, you would be letting mushrooms endure sunburn for you! By eating such sun-kissed fungi, an individual with low vitamin D levels could boost their levels of the vital nutrient.

Unfortunately, this UV-based process is still in the early stages of its development. As for other food-based sources of vitamin D, the options are pretty slim.

For those looking to get the recommended daily allowance of vitamin D, it may be best to eat enriched foods and beverages and to top off a meal with a dietary supplement or a multivitamin. 

However, getting too much sunlight can have negative health consequences. A report published in the journal Archives of Dermatology found that individuals who had higher levels of vitamin D in their blood appeared to be at an increased risk of a certain type of skin problem.

The authors immediately noted that this phenomenon did not appear to be related to diet or nutritional supplements so much as to sun exposure, though they noted that further research is needed on the subject.

Scientists added that previous studies have linked skin health issues to excess exposure to ultraviolet light, which can result in serious skin damage if done often enough.

By contrast, dietary supplements provide ample amounts of vitamin D without damaging skin or requiring the 15 or so minutes necessary to absorb adequate vitamin D3 from sunlight.

A study published in the journal Phytotherapy Research determined that substances found in Tanacetum vulgare, a perennial flowering plant commonly known as tansy, appear to be able to treat the skin eruptions associated with the sexually transmitted disease.

Researchers at the UK's University of Greenwich at Medway Spain's Universidad de Oviedo said that such findings are especially important today, since herpes virus strains are gradually becoming resistant to current therapies.

The study noted that tansy's antioxidant properties may help skin lesions heal, since substances that percent oxidative damage can increase the efficacy of the body's immune system.

Additionally, antioxidants, like those found in dietary supplements, may help reduce inflammation and slow the inexorable process of cellular aging.

Experts at the school's Department of Dermatology described a case of toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) caused by combining ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure with a rare allergy. Their case report appears in the Archives of Dermatology.

The team related an incident in which a young adult with an allergy to ibuprofen took the drug, which gave her a rash. After exposing the rash to UV light in a tanning bed, the woman developed TEN.

Researchers said that the dangerous condition can cause hemorrhaging, breathing difficulties and impaired vision. They reiterated the dangers of tanning, which they said is an improper way to try to improve health.

Instead of risking skin damage and even cancer, individuals who want to get their daily allowance of vitamin D need look no farther than a bottle of natural nutritional supplements.

The study, published in the journal Drug Metabolism and Disposition, noted that the uptake of tacrolimus and sirolimus, two drugs used to prevent the rejection of donated organs, varies depending on the time of year.

These results were derived from the medical information of more than 70,000 hospital patients. Researchers theorized that the effect may be due to levels for vitamin D in the blood, since the nutrient activates an enzyme in the liver responsible for the breakdown of foreign compounds.

Health authorities had already established the role that vitamin D plays in liver health. The team concluded that further investigation may be warranted into the interplay between vitamin D and good health.

Most healthcare experts do not recommend excess sun exposure. Instead, individuals who want to ensure that they have adequate levels of the nutrient all year round may take nutritional supplements.

The newspaper said that Cleopatra, the ancient Greek queen and Egyptian pharaoh of noted beauty, is believed to have massaged her face with olive oil regularly to keep her skin glowing and moistened.

The idea is not so far fetched, some experts say. Olive oil is an essential oil that does not necessarily clog pores, the Journal notes. It may have other epidermal benefits, too. A 2000 study in the journal Carcinogenesis found that applying the oil to the skin of mice appeared to offer them some protection from sun-caused cancers.

When ingested, olive oil has a number of positive health effects. Studies have shown that it may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, protect the liver from free radicals and contribute to blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids. 

In a study published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior, the team announced that the compound group – which is composed of natural pigments found in fruits and vegetables – may add a yellowish pigment to the face, which participants in the research found attractive.

The team showed volunteers photos of dozens of men, each of whose facial pigmentation appeared both naturally and modified.

Participants tended to rate those individuals who had a yellow tinge to their facial coloration as more attractive than those who did not.

The team theorized that this shading, which may be increased by eating carrots, plums and other carotenoid-heavy produce, could indicate to others that an individual is healthy.

Consuming red, orange and yellow fruits and vegetables may also provide better protection from sun damage, which the team said may also contribute to a person's perceived attractiveness.

Previous studies have also suggested that the carotenoids in tomatoes may decrease the risk of cancer in those who consume them regularly. 

Nowadays most people are deficient in the “sunshine vitamin.” Here’s why:

• If you’re over 50—your body can’t properly absorb vitamin D from natural sunlight. Plus, your kidneys are less able to convert vitamin D to its active hormone form. By age 60 it’s nearly impossible to process enough vitamin D to protect your health. So even if you’re out in the sun—you’re not getting optimum levels of vitamin D.
• Sunscreen—for years, you’ve been told to lather on the sunscreen and wear a hat before going outside in the daylight, right? Well, the fact is that sunscreen blocks the critical absorption of vitamin D by a whopping 99.9%.
• Indoor living—most Americans spend the daytime indoors. No steady sun exposure means you don’t produce optimum levels of vitamin D.
• Darker skin—the melanin that darkens your skin also makes it more difficult for the sun to penetrate your skin. That means olive- and dark-skinned people are more prone to a vitamin D deficiency. And low levels of vitamin D can also trigger unhealthy blood pressure.
• Eating processed foods—most processed foods contain very little, if any, vitamin D. If your diet isn’t rich in vitamin D foods such as egg yolks, liver, mackerel, sardines and cod liver oil—you may have a high risk for a vitamin D deficiency.
• Seasonal changes—winter months mean less sunlight, no matter where you live. And that could be a serious problem if you’re relying on the sun for vitamin D. You just won’t get enough of this essential nutrient to protect your health.
• Cultural background—women who are required to cover their entire bodies in heavy clothing block out the sun. This significantly reduces vitamin D production.
• Fat restrictions—vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. That means it requires some dietary fat for proper absorption. Folks with liver problems, digestive problems, pancreatic enzyme deficiency or who have undergone gastric bypass surgery or removal of part of the intestines are especially at risk for a vitamin D deficiency. Even strict vegetarians may be vitamin D deficient.

Supplementation may be necessary to increase your levels of vitamin D during the winter months, and possibly all year-round. You can have a physician measure your vitamin D levels so you can base your intake of this nutrient on your individual needs. According to The Vitamin D Council, vitamin D3, or cholecalciferol, is the most effective form of the nutrient.