A new hot debate has surfaced over sun protection. For some, it seems we may have gone a little too far in our attempts to reduce photodamage.
Asian, Subcontinents, and Melanesian peoples generally don’t require sun protection – the color of their skin indicates that sufficient melanin is present to act as a natural sunblock.Â
But what happens when they move to live in other regions of the world, where the strength of the sun is not so strong and they tend to spend more time indoors?
What is showing up, is that these populations are showing signs of rickets, resulting from insufficient vitamin D. This lacking is a direct result of lack of exposure to the sun. With the skin cancer programs advocating total block at all times, the problem with lack of Vitamin D is becoming endemic. However, it seems we have under estimated beneficial effects of sun exposure. Children and adults in the risk category are showing vitamin D drops off during low UVB in winter months.
Even those medical scientists, such as Prof Bruce Armstrong who in the past were strong advocates to total block, are supporting research evidence of protective effects of Vitamin D against cancer. Insufficient Vitamin D effects may lead to several types of cancer, heart disease, hypertension, Type 1 Diabetes and many other illnesses.
Whilst 300,000 Australians treated for skin cancer per year, dark skin people now residing in Australia and New Zealand don’t get enough vitamin if they don’t have enough sunlight. Attempting to increase their vitamin D through supplements is not practicable. A sufficient dosage of Vitamin by supplement is 10-20 times higher than you can get in vitamin supplements in NZ.
The key is balance. Balance between enough to get Vitamin D and too much causing photodamage. It is suggested that 10-15 minutes exposure to direct sunlight in morning or late afternoon does no damage to the skin and provides sufficient support for Vitamin D production.
Will this resolve the current Mexican stand off between photodamage proponents and vitamin requirements? Only time will tell.
Nicola
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