BBC_Science_Focus_-_08.2019

REALITY CHECK ANALYSIS

elanoma skin cancer is

the fifth most common

form of cancer in the UK,

and according to Cancer

Research UK, 86 per cent of the

16,000 new cases every yea r a re

preventable. However, sunshine also

has proven benefits to our health.

Could our reliance on sunscreen be

denying us these?

Ou r bodies need su nlight to

help us create vitamin D. While

some is absorbed from food, most

SUN CREAM: I S I T A

RISK TO YOUR HEALTH?

of it is produced via a chemical

reaction in our skin that relies on

the energy from ultraviolet (UV) rays.

The amount of vitamin D you have

governs how much calcium your

body absorbs. Not enough vitamin

D can lead to diseases like rickets

and osteomalacia, where bones are

left soft, weak and warped.

Unfortunately, the UVB rays that

help our bodies create vitamin D also

cause sunburn, skin ageing and skin

cancer. So, using sun cream daily

throughout the summer months –

assuming it’s applied correctly and

regularly – could theoretically block

the body’s best access to vitamin D.

What’s more, some dermatologists

believe that just as important as

vitamin D, if not more so, is nitric

oxide. Also created in the body after

exposure to UV light, nitric oxide

causes blood vessels to relax and

expand, lowering blood pressure.

Dr Richard Weller, a dermatologist

who studies the effect of sunlight on

A number of recent studies have painted sun cream in a bad light. We take a deeper look at the science of

protecting your skin from sunshine.

M

While it’s sensible to

avoid sunburn, our

bodies do need a lile

unprotected exposure

to the sunshine to get

enough vitamin D

ANALYSIS