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Why your skin needs to see the sun WITHOUT sunscreen every day: Experts have radically changed their rules for UV exposure and the risk of skin cancer - this is how it affects you
Apr 09, 2024
‘For too long, dermatologists have been fixated on skin cancer, meaning we have not properly considered that sunlight has health benefits for us all,’ says Richard Weller, a professor of medical dermatology at Edinburgh University and an honorary consultant dermatologist at NHS Lothian.
What’s more, the new thinking is that sun-safety advice should be tailored according to skin tone — in particular, those with darker skin are thought to benefit the most from sun exposure, leading some experts to suggest they don’t apply as much sunscreen. As Dr Derrick Phillips, a consultant dermatologist in London and spokesperson for the British Skin Foundation, explains: ‘In the past, our sun safety messaging has combined into one: everyone should cover up and everyone should wear high-factor sunscreen. But it’s far more complex.
‘For instance, the relationship between UV exposure and skin cancer isn’t as strong for people with black or brown skin tones. They can still get skin cancers, but these cases aren’t usually linked to sun exposure and often occur in non-sun-exposed areas. But they will still be told that they need to apply SPF — when in fact that wouldn’t have protected them from these cancers at all.’
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HEALTHWISE: The sun’s your vitamin D friend
Apr 08, 2024
SOME of the best dietary sources of vitamin D3 include oily fish like salmon, sardines, pilchards, herring, and so on. But a portion of these would provide around fifty per cent (5ug) of the recommended intake of 10ug and it isn’t advised to take two portions of fish per day to achieve your recommended daily intake of vitamin D3 as this would be reckless due to mercury levels, among other things.
Avonmore brand protein milk is a decent source of vitamin D3 for adults with the Arla brand’s Whole Milk for Big Kids being a good option for 1 to 5-year-olds. But again, you would need to take a lot of milk to achieve sufficient vitamin D3, which would probably be impractical. These foods (fish and milk) should just top up your vitamin D3 levels.
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Vitamin D: Scientific American Chimes in on ‘VITAL’ as Research Money Vanishes
Apr 01, 2024
Vitamin D research money has dried up, say scientists. The US and British governments have turned away from funding large trials of the substance. The loss of funding is “a tragedy,” says Bruce W. Hollis, PhD, professor of pediatrics at the Medical University of South Carolina, who believes D has substantial untapped potential for generating health.1
The funding shift has developed over the last decade. It accelerated in 2019 in the wake of a massive study known as “VITAL” sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. VITAL (short for “Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial”)2 has profoundly shaped the vitamin D landscape, scientists say—limiting research money, persuading doctors’ organizations to steer members away from the vitamin, and sparking mainstream media articles expressing doubt about D’s value.
An example of the latter is a piece in Scientific American in its issue of January 2024, titled “How Much Vitamin D Do You Need to Stay Healthy?”3 The 4,000-word article by Christie Aschwanden is built around a review of VITAL. The subtitle sums up its main thrust: “Most People Naturally Have Good Vitamin D Levels. Overhyped Claims That the Compound Helps to Fight Diseases From Cancer to Depression Aren’t Borne Out by Recent Research.” Excerpts:
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Wellness Wednesday: The benefits of vitamin D and its impact on cancer
Mar 28, 2024
In this video interview Dr. JoAnn Manson discusses vitamin D and its impact on cancer, autoimmune diseases and immune function.
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The Best Time to Take Vitamin D for Maximum Absorption, According to Health Experts
Mar 27, 2024
When it comes to the supplement aisle, multivitamins, omega-3s and probiotics might score more shelf real estate. However, if that multi doesn’t come with a dose of vitamin D, your doctor might recommend adding another pill to your routine.
Roxana Ehsani, M.S., RD, CSSD, a Miami-based board-certified sports dietitian, explains that vitamin D is one of four fat-soluble vitamins (A, E and K are the others). It’s also a hormone our body creates after being exposed to the sun, playing “many important roles in our body,” adds Ehsani. These include supporting your immune system, muscle and nerve function, your body’s ability to absorb calcium and more.
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