Slap on that sunscreen…no, wait. Slap on that sunscreen after you have been outside for about 15 minutes!
We all know about the benefits of using sunscreen, but much less is said about how sunscreen can prevent Vitamin D production.
Fact is, research has found that wearing sunscreen continuously can reduce the amount of vitamin D a person is able to make. Vitamin D is essential for bone health. It promotes calcium absorption and assists in maintaining adequate phosphate concentrations. Recent studies have linked vitamin D to aid in the prevention of many forms of cancer. Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with increased risks of falls and fractures. More severe cases are linked to diabetes and auto-immune diseases. Though vitamin D can be obtained through food sources such as fish, eggs, fortified milk, and cod liver oil, the primary source of vitamin D, for most, is sun exposure.
However, excessive exposure to sunlight is known to have serious effects on the skin. UV radiation is responsible for the sun’s visible effects on the outermost layer of the skin and plays a key role in the development of skin cancer. UV radiation is also responsible for the synthesis of vitamin D. Because the UV process leading to DNA damage and for vitamin D photosynthesis are virtually identical, the unfortunate fact is that sun exposure has both harmful and beneficial effects.
A study conducted by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University released findings that US children are indeed suffering from some level of vitamin D deficiency. Michal L. Melamed, assistant professor of medicine and of epidemiology and population health at Einstein has stated that it would be good for parents to send their kids outside for just 15 to 20 minutes a day. And unless they burn easily, don’t put sunscreen on them until they’ve been out in the sun for 10 minutes, so they get the good stuff but not sun damage.
Though the message that sun exposure is harmful and sunscreen is a necessity is loud and clear, it does not mean that all sun exposure should be condemned. The key to finding the answer is balance. For those who are not sun restricted for health reasons, a sensible diet including foods that contain vitamin D and a short walk in the park on a sunny day a few times a week without sunscreen may be enough to provide adequate levels of vitamin D.
