When it comes to sun safety, the message is becoming increasingly hazy. For decades we’ve been urged to protect our skin by slopping on the sunscreen and covering up. Now some health experts believe that about a third of us have taken the message too far and may have insufficient levels of vitamin D, the best source of which comes from UV radiation from the sun.
Not only is this chemical hormone vital for bone and muscle health, but new research shows it may also guard against a range of other ailments, including, most surprisingly, skin cancer.
Every tissue in the body has the capacity to respond to the vitamin D hormone your skin. There is some evidence that small exposures to sunlight might actually beef up your skin’s repair mechanisms, protecting cells from the damaging effects of UV radiation. You know how you tend to get burnt at the beginning of summer and not so much at the end? That’s partly because you get a bit more colour in your skin and also because you get a slightly increased outer layer of skin that actually protects you. It’s been estimated that it gives you an SPF of about 15.
There is some evidence to suggest that a little exposure may improve your ability to withstand further sun damage and evidence in animals that if you put vitamin D compounds on skin you can reduce immunosuppression and skin cancer development.
In fact, preliminary research shows that vitamin D may significantly reduce your risk of developing all types of cancers. A four-year study of women in Nebraska, for instance, found that those given vitamin D and calcium had between 60 and 77 per cent reduced risk of developing a variety of cancers including breast, colon and skin cancer. However, more substantial research is required.
There are associations between low vitamin D and increased risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, cardiac mortality and autoimmune diseases. A Scandinavian study found that children with inadequate vitamin D as infants had about a two-and-a-half-fold increased risk of developing type 1 diabetes. Vitamin D may also protect against rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and depression.
So have the anti-skin cancer campaigns gone too far? Not at all, argues Professor Ian Oliver, CEO of Cancer Council Australia. “We have 1600 deaths from skin cancer a year in Australia, so we can’t pull back on the campaign in the middle of summer, but we’ve got to make it clear that it doesn t apply to winter,” Professor Oliver says. “Early in the morning and late in the afternoon, when the sun isn’t as intense, that’s probably okay.”
Balance is the key. Studies show that too much sun exposure will not help your vitamin D levels either, as the body can only make a certain amount of it at a time. If you keep exposing your skin to UV, the rays start to break down vitamin D. Short, frequent exposure is best. While the body can store vitamin D for 30 to 60 days, you don’t make enough in winter to carry through to summer, so you need regular exposure. Nor should you rely on foods, such as oily fish, eggs and liver, which only provide up to 10 per cent of our vitamin D needs.
There are some fortified foods, such as milk and cereals. The calcium in dairy also helps protect your vitamin D from being broken down, but really it’s sun, supplements or both. If you choose supplements, opt for brands that contain calcium and speak to your GP about dosage. There is evidence starting to emerge that exercise might also be important for helping you to maintain vitamin D levels.
For the rest of us, it’s about getting the balance right, and if that means lingering a little longer outdoors, you probably won’t find much complaint.
The New Sun Rules:
You need to determine the best regime for your skin type, location and daily activities.
Check the UV index daily. Only expose your skin if UV radiation levels are below three. During summer, and in sunnier areas, this is usually before 10am and after 3pm.
You only need to expose your skin for about 10 minutes a day, depending on the UV index, your skin type and age. In summer you might drop this down to two minutes and up to 20 minutes in winter, preferably at about 12pm.
Infants need just a few minutes daily.
You only need to expose 15 percent of your body at a time. The more skin you expose the less time you need. Your skin should never begin to burn.
Avoid solariums.
Bill Lyon is a widely syndicated health writer who has recently researched cellulite cream including Revitol Cellullite Cream.
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