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05-26-2008, 09:49 PM | #1 (permalink) |
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Rep Power: 35 | Too little sun is nearly as bad as too much Posted on Mon, May. 26, 2008 Too little sun is nearly as bad as too much last updated: May 26, 2008 06:10:28 AM For years, the message about the sun was simple -- avoid it. Slather on sunscreen. Wear a hat and long-sleeved shirts. Seek cover under trees. The sun was your foe -- wrinkling your skin, or worse, causing skin cancer. The sun, we said, could kill you. The new message emerging? Maybe we went a little too far. As in SPF 70 too far. While no one is suggesting we return to the days of rubbing Crisco on our bodies, many doctors now insist we need more of the sunshine vitamin -- vitamin D. Some even suggest -- gasp! -- that we get some rays naked (without sunscreen, that is), although not for very long. Very few foods are naturally rich in vitamin D, and most Americans rely on limited sun exposure and fortified foods, such as milk and cereal, to get their daily dose of the sunshine vitamin. As a result, many people are falling short of what they need. But just how many of us fall in this category is unclear because scientists and doctors disagree on what the "optimal" thresholds should be, according to Anne Looker, senior scientist at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So the percentage of American adults not getting enough vitamin D ranges from 32 percent to 74 percent, according to the analysis of the CDC's 2000-04 nutrition examination surveys. The levels are highest among blacks, in part because their skin is less able to synthesize vitamin D from the sun, according to doctors. A shortage of vitamin D has been linked to several cancers, bone loss and unexplained muscle pain. Vitamin D also boosts our immune system and is needed for strong bones. "It's our modern lifestyle," said Dr. Vin Tangpricha, an Emory University endocrinologist who has been studying vitamin D deficiency for 10 years. "We go from our office to our cars and spend very little time outside." He believes the anti-sun message needs a readjustment. "I feel like it swung to the extreme," he said. "And common sense will tell you, if you completely avoid the sun, it's not good. A little sun is OK. It's good for you." Tangpricha recommends about 10 minutes of sun every day -- without sunscreen. Then, apply sunscreen and enjoy the outdoors some more, he says. Still, for people who burn easily or have fair complexions, two minutes is likely more appropriate. Whether daily sun gazing is necessary -- or worth the risk -- is open to debate. For dermatologists seeing a rise in skin cancer every year including a continuous rise of melanoma -- the most deadly form of cancer -- the benefits of naturally producing vitamin D may not be worth the potentially long-term harmful effects of the sun. Dr. Diamondis Papadopoulos, an Atlanta dermatologist, believes maybe we can relax -- a little. "I am not so obsessed to think that you need to wear sunscreen every second of every day," he said. But just how much sun is healthy varies from person to person -- skin type to skin type. "We dropped everyone in a grab bag of equal risk," Papadopoulos said. "So the message is use sunscreen all the time." And while some people may be able to tolerate a little sun without sunscreen, he said carefully avoiding sun exposure is needed for people at high risk for skin cancer. For men and women with fair skin or a family history of skin cancer, he said they should get their vitamin D dose from supplements and vitamin D-rich foods such as salmon or tuna instead of soaking up the sun. Many dermatologists also worry that loosening up on the sun exposure recommendations will lead to carelessness. Already, only a third of Americans regularly use sunscreen, according to the CDC. "If people are encouraged to get a few minutes of sun without sunscreen, they may just skip the sunscreen altogether," Papadopoulos said. He also said many people already don't follow a basic rule of applying sunscreen -- they fail to reapply every one to two hours. Source Link: http://www.modbee.com/life/yourhealth/story/309547.html
__________________ "under exposure to UV rays is as dangerous as overexposure....this is D life" eileen Last edited by eileen; 05-26-2008 at 09:52 PM. |
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