Too much sunscreen? Why avoiding the sun could damage your health

Too much sunscreen(ˈsənˌskrēn)? Why avoiding the sun could damage your health

For years we have been told to slather(ˈslaT͟Hər) up or seek shade(SHād) to avoid skin cancer. But now it is becoming clear that shunning(SHən) the sun comes with its own health perils(ˈperəl)

By Linda Geddes(gadəs)

SLIP(slip)! Slop(släp)! Slap! As public-health(helTH) campaigns(kamˈpān) go, Cancer Council(ˈkounsəl) Australia’s(ôˈstrālyə,əˈstrāl-) dancing seagull(ˈsēˌgəl) telling people to slip on a shirt(SHərt), slop on some sunscreen and slap on a hat(hat) must rank among the stickiest(ˈstikē) in history. Launched in 1981, it prompted many a devoted(dəˈvōdəd) sun worshipper(ˈwərSHəpər) to reconsider whether a “healthy(ˈhelTHē) tan(tan)” was virtuous(ˈvərCHəwəs), or a herald(ˈherəld) of premature(ˌprēməˈCHo͝or) skin ageing and cancer.

It seems to have been effective: after increasing in the general population for decades, rates(rāt) of the deadliest(ˈdedlē) form of skin cancer, melanoma(ˌmeləˈnōmə), are now falling among Australians(ôˈstrālyən) under the age of 40. “These are people who will have been exposed to the [Slip, Slop, Slap] message for pretty much their whole lives,” says Heather(ˈheT͟Hər) Walker of Cancer Council Australia.

But has this come at a cost? In Australia and worldwide, the prevalence(ˈprevələns) of vitamin(ˈvītəmən) D deficiency(dəˈfiSHənsē) is increasing – and sunscreen has taken much of the blame(blām). Low levels of vitamin D are associated(əˈsōsēˌādid, əˈsōSHēˌādid) with weaker bones and teeth, infections, cardiovascular(ˌkärdēōˈvaskyələr) disease(dəˈzēz) and autoimmune(ˌôdōəˈmyo͞on) and inflammatory(inˈflaməˌtôrē) diseases including multiple(ˈməltəpəl) sclerosis(skləˈrōsəs). And although vitamin D supplements(ˈsəpləmənt) have been touted(tout,to͞o
) as a solution, so far they don’t seem to have the effect that was expected. Now evidence is accumulating(əˈkyo͞om(y)əˌlāt) that sun exposure has benefits beyond vitamin D.

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https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24132210-100-too-much-sunscreen-why-avoiding-the-sun-could-damage-your-health/