Should You Stop Wearing Sunscreen To Get More Vitamin D? Here ’s What a Doctor Says

Last year, a study published in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association made headlines when it asserted that sunscreen use is partially to blame for widespread vitamin D deficiency worldwide. The research raised questions, given that consistently wearing sunscreen is one of the most common pieces of advice from physicians. Should the risk of vitamin D deficiency — which can lead to brittle bones and has been associated with insulin resistance, high blood pressure and decreased immune function, among other issues — overshadow years of that advice? Not according to Dr. Victoria Werth, a professor of dermatology and medicine at the University of Pennsylvania who is certified in both dermatology and internal medicine. “I think we are too worried about vitamin D,” Werth says. “The risk of skin cancer is so much greater than low vitamin D.” Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2014, the most recent year with conclusive data, more than 76,000 people were diagnosed with melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer. (The CDC does not track other types of skin cancer, such as basal and squamous cell carcinomas.) Given how common it is, Werth says that preventing skin cancer should take priority over protecting against vitamin D deficiency, especially since it’s possible to get some vitamin D from food (such as fish, egg yolks, mus...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized healthytime onetime public health Source Type: news