It's a good question Pat. I believe the days of the "healthy tan" are gone as we learn more about devastating melanoma skin cancer (the most diagnosed cancer) and how it is now affecting many more people in their 20s and early 30s who were unknowingly over-exposed to the sun's UV rays at an very early age.
We have also learn that an unintended consequence of public awareness campaigns about skin cancer is people have also learned to fear the sun, and as a result, most Americans (three-quarter of US teens and adults according to the latest figures from the Institutes of Health) are now suffering from vitamin D deficiencies that is also harming our health and causing other types of cancer, diabetes, autoimmune and other chronic diseases. Women and children need vitamin D to help establish and maintain bone health. Clearly, it is a delicate balancing act.
Many health experts say 5 to 20 minutes per day in the sun is all we need to synthesize the natural vitamin D from the rays. Unlike vitamin supplements, people can not overdose on vitamin D from the sun, but we can get skin damage, the first step toward skin cancer.
Most health experts believe people should get 99 percent of their vitamin D from the sun but the use of sunscreens are preventing natural vitamin D absorption from occurring. The New York Department of Health recommends applying the sunscreen after 5-15 minutes in the sun to protect skin from overexposure. That sounds a bit inconvenient, but like sound advice. Maybe others have different advice they will share.
Comment Reply
It's a good question Pat. I believe the days of the "healthy tan" are gone as we learn more about devastating melanoma skin cancer (the most diagnosed cancer) and how it is now affecting many more people in their 20s and early 30s who were unknowingly over-exposed to the sun's UV rays at an very early age.
We have also learn that an unintended consequence of public awareness campaigns about skin cancer is people have also learned to fear the sun, and as a result, most Americans (three-quarter of US teens and adults according to the latest figures from the Institutes of Health) are now suffering from vitamin D deficiencies that is also harming our health and causing other types of cancer, diabetes, autoimmune and other chronic diseases. Women and children need vitamin D to help establish and maintain bone health. Clearly, it is a delicate balancing act.
Many health experts say 5 to 20 minutes per day in the sun is all we need to synthesize the natural vitamin D from the rays. Unlike vitamin supplements, people can not overdose on vitamin D from the sun, but we can get skin damage, the first step toward skin cancer.
Most health experts believe people should get 99 percent of their vitamin D from the sun but the use of sunscreens are preventing natural vitamin D absorption from occurring. The New York Department of Health recommends applying the sunscreen after 5-15 minutes in the sun to protect skin from overexposure. That sounds a bit inconvenient, but like sound advice. Maybe others have different advice they will share.
March 11, 2010 - 9:47amThis Comment
Reply