OVER the past month, there has been much publicity surrounding sunbeds, resulting in various misrepresentations and mis-reporting. What started out as an examination of the use of sunbeds ultimately questioned the value of sunshine to health.
Wha
t concerns me is the apparent confusion about the main issues involved.
The latest call for the banning of unregulated sunbeds in local authority leisure centres, particularly where young adults frequently abuse services, is a reasonable response. But what gets lost in the hype is the importance of sunshine to our health.
I must voice my concerns about the general public becoming 'sun phobic'. Natural sunshine is good for the health – as long as the skin is protected from over-exposure, which will lead to burning.
Sunshine is essential to Vitamin D synthesis. Vitamin D is vital to good health, protecting from many diseases, including a number of cancers. Fifteen minutes exposure to sunlight that contains UVB is enough to stimulate Vitamin D synthesis. This relates to one quarter MED (Minimum Erythemal Dose – the minimum amount of UVB that produces redness 24 hours after exposure).
As such, controlled and sensible exposure to the sun is good for you and essential to your health. However, due to the nature of our climatic situation, the sun in the UK does not contain sufficient UVB between October and May and Vitamin D supplementation is advised.
In my opinion, total abstinence from sunlight is an overreaction to the potential dangers of excess UV radiation and we are in danger of not only losing out on the benefits of Vitamin D, but creating deficiencies.
It should also be noted that sunbeds have little or no UVB, mainly UVA. So although you may get a tan with a sunbed, your skin is ageing and you are not synthesising Vitamin D.
Naturally, sun protection is important, but high SPFs (sun protection factors in suncreams) can be counterproductive. Many think that one application of a very high SPF will protect them all day. People are given a false sense of protection by the high figure on the label so do not re-apply often enough. Research has also shown that many very high-protection creams contain organic sunscreen molecules that when absorbed create the same result as overexposure.
I suggest exposing yourself to 10-15 minutes of full sunshine a day. Choose a moderate level sunscreen that also contains a combination of anti-oxidant vitamins (C, E and beta-carotene).
These ingredients combine to guard more effectively against UVA and UVB rays. Frequent application is also significant.
Initial sunscreen application should be 20 minutes before exposure, to allow for absorption of the protective ingredients, followed by frequent re-application to maintain protection.
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David Alpert is the founder of the International Institute of Anti-AgeingThe full article contains 489 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
