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Vitamin D – the never ending debate Daily application of a good sun protection product is essential to maintain youthful skin. However, there has recently been a great deal of discussion about how sun protection creams affect your body's synthesis of vitamin D. Yes, it's correct that your skin needs some sunlight to produce vitamin D. And yes, a sufficient level of vitamin D in your blood is crucial to a variety of organ systems. (The latest guidelines set the ideal blood level at 75-200 nanomoles per litre. A simple blood test will determine your levels!) Vitamin D is important for the regulation of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium absorption - it's therefore vital for maintaining strong and healthy bones. Vitamin D deficiency can result in bone disease called ostomalacia (rickets) and interestingly, more and more GPs are reporting cases in children lacking outdoor activities. Vitamin D deficiency has been shown to increase the risk of certain cancers including breast cancer, multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and other chronic diseases. With all this in mind, if you're concerned about your vitamin D level, why not visit your dermatologist for a blood test? Should you be vitamin D deficient, taking supplements will adjust your level. I don't recommend to stop using sun protection. At the end of the day, UV light not only ages your skin, but can also cause skin cancer. You wouldn't start smoking to lose weight would you? |
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