VITAMIN D IS PRODUCED BY THE SUN


Vitamin D is vital for your immune system. It protects your body from a range of illnesses. Thus, it is extremely important to get sufficient vitamin D. The easiest and most natural vitamin D comes from the Sun, and is produced by your skin under favorable conditions.


Vitamin D production in your skin is dependent on four factors:

- The UV Index (must be 3 or more)

- Your age (older people produce less)

- Your skin type (darker skin produces less)

- Skin exposure (calculations in this app are based on exposed arms and legs)


You can set your age and skin type in the Settings app at any time.


The UV index is dependent on three factors:

- The height of the Sun above the horizon (increased by higher Sun)

- The thickness of the ozone layer (reduced for ticker layer)

- The amount of clouds (reduced or stopped by thicker clouds)


The vitamin D production is proportional to the UV index. This app retrieves UV index forecast data from www.temis.nl for today and the six next days; for dates before or after this (or in the case of no internet connection), the app estimates the UV index based on solar height and a standard thickness of the ozone layer (320 DU).

Please be aware that the thickness reduces significantly close to the poles; thus, never use this app for advice above latitude + or -70 degrees without Internet connections.

Why is the D VitaMeter app important?

LINKS

Vitamin D council

Wikipedia

GRAPHICS


  1. -Thanks to Philip Notland and Anniken Hustad for providing the original graphical layout for the VitaminD app


  1. -Also thanks to www.freepsdfiles.net for providing the free weather icons (which have been modified slightly) and to www.psdsources.com for providing the globe icon


DISCLAIMER


  1. -This app is a best effort to give advise for Sun exposure for producing vitamin D. The vitamin D exposure assumes no sun-blocker protection (factor 8 protection will effectively block 95 % of all UV radiation). You may use any data from this application at your own risk only.


  1. -Remember that too long exposure may harm your skin and potentially your health. Thus, never expose yourself without sun-blocker for more than 20 minutes at a time during the "D zone", maximum twice a day (morning and afternoon) when the UV index is 3 or above and never outside the D zone when UV Index is greater than 8. With any signs of burn, please protect yourself with a sun-blocker with sufficient factor depending on the UV Index and general advice from local and governmental health authorities.


  1. -Toreapps AS takes no responsibility for your health. You need to follow any advice put forward by governmental health bodies in your country and any country you may visit at any time.

HOW TO USE THE APP


  1. -When you start the app, the main view shows a “VitaMeter” and the current vitamin D production (per 10 minutes) for the current location and the duration of the "D Zone"; the period where you can safely expose yourself to the sun in short periods to produce vitamin D. The safe time is between the green and the red markers; the red markers are shown only if max UV Index forecast is 8 or above. When not present, safe time is between the green markers


  1. -Tap the vitamin D "barometer" to toggle between maximum D production today and vitamin D production at the current time (works for "Today" only)


  1. -Tap the date (or "Today") to change date and get the forecast for another date, or tap the previous or next buttons to look at the forecast for yesterday or tomorrow


  1. -Use the bottom slider to show the vitamin D production at any time of the day between sunrise and sunset. The actual time of day is shown above the slider


  1. -The actual UV index at any time (given the weather conditions) is shown below the date


  1. -Tap the weather symbol (initially Sunny) to toggle between various weather conditions: Sunny, partly cloudy, cloudy, dark clouds and rain. The UV index and vitamin D production estimate will change accordingly


  1. -Tap the globe to change to a new location. Use the sliders to easily change to any location in the world, or press "Current" to return to the current location or "Back" to return to the latest location


  1. -In the current version, all time of day data is shown in the current time zone, not the actual time zone of the location in question (this may give some issues when the date for a place is another date than "Today" in the current time zone. This issue will be fixed in a later version.)


  1. -You can ask for notifications for the start and end of safe vitamin D production in the settings. The notifications will be sent for the actual place and date displayed in the main window when you leave the app, and will be reset once you restart the app


  1. -Use the standard settings app in iPhone/iPad to change settings - correct age and skin type are very important for correct calculations of vitamin D production


  1. -Tap the small info button to show more information about the app



THE FULL VERSION


The full version (available as in-app purchase) includes:


  1. -Weather forecast for the next 5-10 days.


  1. -The weather forecast is used to calculate the forecasted vitamin D level.


  1. -Favorite location list. The list is maintainable; you can add, delete and re-order your favorites.


  1. -No advertising


Additional functionality will be added to the full version in coming releases.


Once purchased, all new functionality will automatically be available.