Vitamin D is a truly unique vitamin because our skin has the remarkable ability to produce it naturally. This vitamin plays a vital role in various aspects of our health. Our bones rely on vitamin D to effectively absorb calcium, while our muscles need it to facilitate movement. Additionally, vitamin D supports our nerves in carrying messages between our brain and body, bolsters our immune system to combat infections, and aids in maintaining normal blood pressure for a healthy heart.
Despite its significance, many people are facing a substantial health issue due to a lack of vitamin D. In Europe, it's astonishing that 4 out of every 10 individuals display insufficient levels of this crucial vitamin. Even more concerning is the fact that 1 out of every 10 individuals suffers from severe deficiency. This means that among us, there is at least one person grappling with this issue. Zooming out to a global scale, a staggering 1 billion people are currently grappling with the challenges posed by inadequate vitamin D levels. Such deficiencies can lead to an increased risk of developing osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, depression, and heart disease.
The struggle to obtain sufficient vitamin D can be quite challenging. Although we can acquire a small portion from food, it only accounts for 10% of our intake. The most effective and simplest way to obtain vitamin D is through exposure to sunlight—the very source that sustains life itself. However, people often lack awareness about the amount of time needed to expose themselves to the sun to attain the required vitamin D levels. Furthermore, tracking vitamin D levels can be an arduous task.
But fear not, as our solution, Helys, emerges to address this issue. Helys is your personal companion, dedicated to helping you increase your vitamin D levels by scheduling safe sun exposure. It achieves this by utilizing a scientific formula, developed by Holick, to calculate the precise duration required to reach your recommended daily level of vitamin D. With its minimalist and intuitive design, Helys simplifies your experience by providing a clear visualization of the amount of vitamin D you are obtaining during each session.
To illustrate how Helys works, imagine starting an exposure session by simply dragging up the Helys sphere, which symbolizes the sun. Helys will prompt you to select your attire to ensure accurate exposure time calculations, which are based on Holick's scientific formula. As time progresses, Helys will fill up, allowing you to easily visualize the amount of vitamin D you are accumulating throughout the session.
Consider a scenario where you're having your lunch break outside, basking in the sunlight. Helys will request permission to access your location to provide an accurate UV index, obtained from WeatherKit. Additionally, it will ask for notification access to remind you of the optimal moments for exposure and to reapply sunscreen for safer sun exposure. Gathering essential information about your skin type through a series of questions is also crucial for accurate calculations.
Rest assured, we value your privacy, and Helys doesn't collect any personal data. All information is securely managed by Apple's robust security system. As an added safety measure, Helys will remind you to reapply sunscreen during your session, ensuring a protected and enjoyable sun exposure experience.
About the future
Looking ahead, we are excited to announce that we are working on wearables to enhance the user experience, allowing you to initiate a session with a simple tap on your watch. Furthermore, our team is developing a proprietary machine learning model to detect when you are outdoors, prompting you to start a session and sending personalized notifications to encourage spending more time in the open air.
