Sun Exposure,Vitamin D and preventing Skin Cancer

[Guest guest]

Can Working Indoors Give You Skin Cancer?

 

Many skin cancer screenings are held during May, which is Melanoma/Skin

Cancer Detection and Prevention month. To find a free skin cancer screening i

n your area, you can below. You should note that skin

cancer screenings tend to be rapid and are not a substitute for a full skin

examination by your own dermatologist or physician.

 

This makes May a good time to spread the word that, despite the persistent

myth, healthy UVB exposure is not the cause of melanoma.

 

This is why an epidemic of melanoma has broken out among indoor workers.

In fact, indoor workers get three to nine times LESS solar UV exposure than

outdoor workers get, yet only indoor workers have increasing rates of

melanoma -- and the rates have been increasing since before 1940.

 

In fact, UVB light, which causes your skin to produce vitamin D, is

protective against cancer.

 

 

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

 

Since May is Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention month, I

thought it would be fitting to bust some of the prevalent myths surrounding

this

disease.

 

Contrary to what you may have heard, appropriate sun exposure actually

helps prevent the fatal type of skin cancer, melanoma. In fact, melanoma, has

been found to decrease with greater sun exposure, and can be increased by

sunscreens.

 

One such study discovered that melanoma patients with _higher levels of

sun exposure_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2005/02/19/sun-skin.aspx)

were less likely to die than other melanoma patients, and

patients who already had melanoma and got a lot of sun exposure were prone

to a less aggressive tumor type.

 

While public health officials have been warning that exposure to

ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun increases your risk of developing

melanoma,

an epidemic of the disease has broken out among indoor workers.

 

These workers get three to nine times LESS solar UV exposure than outdoor

workers get, yet only indoor workers have increasing rates of melanoma --

and the rates have been increasing since before 1940.

 

 

Why Would Indoor Workers Have Higher Rates of Melanoma?

 

There are two major factors that help explain this, and the first has to

do with the type of UV exposure. There are two primary types of UV rays from

sunlight, the vitamin-D-producing UVB rays and the skin-damaging UVA light.

 

Both UVA and UVB can cause tanning and burning, although UVB does so far

more rapidly. UVA, however, penetrates your skin more deeply than UVB, and

may be a much more important factor in photoaging, wrinkles and skin cancers.

 

A recent study found that indoor workers may have increased rates of

melanoma because they’re exposed to sunlight through windows, and only _UVA

light_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/03/31/The-Real-Killer-i\

n-Sunlight--UVA.aspx) , unlike UVB, can pass through window glass.

 

At the same time, these indoor workers are missing out on exposure to the

beneficial UVB rays, and have lower levels of vitamin D.

 

As you probably know by now, vitamin D is formed in your skin from

exposure to sunlight. The sun, in turn, does increase genetic damage in your

skin

and can cause skin cancer, but nature has designed a clever system to help

prevent this risk.

 

Dr. John Cannell, one of the leading authorities on vitamin D and founder

and executive director of the Vitamin D Council, does an excellent job of

_explaining the system in this video_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/01/22/facts-you-need-to\

-know-about-sunlight-and-skin-cance

r.aspx) but to give you a summary, when vitamin D is produced in your

skin, it goes directly to the genes in your skin where it helps prevent the

types of abnormalities that ultraviolet light causes.

 

Hence, when you avoid the sun entirely, or slather on sun block whenever

you go out, your skin is not making any vitamin D, and you’re left without

this built-in cancer protection.

 

So it’s the combination of exposure to UVA light and lower vitamin D

levels that appears to be causing the increased rates of melanoma, and the

indoor workers could clearly benefit from spending some time outdoors in the

sun.

 

 

How to Get the Benefits of Vitamin D With Little Risk of Skin Cancer

 

Aside from protecting your skin from sun damage, optimizing your vitamin D

levels can help you to prevent as many as 16 different types of cancer

along with many other diseases as discussed in this past article, _Vitamin D

-- The Master Key to Optimal Health_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/03/12/Vitamin-D--The-Ma\

ster-Key-to-Optimal-Health.aspx) .

 

It’s absolutely tragic that dermatologists and sunscreen manufacturers

have done such a thorough job of scaring people out of the sun -- your optimal

source for natural vitamin D -- because it’s simply essential for your

health.

 

If you want to get out in the sun to maximize your vitamin D production,

and minimize your risk of malignant melanoma, the middle of the day (roughly

between 10:00am and 2:00pm) is the best and safest time to go.

 

During this time you need the shortest exposure time to produce vitamin D

because UVB rays are most intense at this time. Plus, when the sun goes

down toward the horizon, the UVB is filtered out much more than the dangerous

UVA.

 

You just need to be cautious about the length of your exposure. You only

need enough exposure to have your skin turn the lightest shade of pink. This

may only be a few minutes for some if you have a very pale skin.

 

Once you reach this point your body will not make any additional vitamin D

and any additional exposure will only cause harm and damage to your skin.

 

Most people with fair skin will max out their vitamin D production in just

10-20 minutes, or, again, when your skin starts turning the lightest shade

of pink. Some will need less, others more. The darker your skin, the

longer exposure you will need to optimize your vitamin D production.

 

To learn more about sunlight and vitamin D, including why I recommend

getting your levels tested and how to use the sun for cancer prevention, please

set aside an hour to _watch my free lecture on vitamin D_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/12/16/my-one-hour-vitam\

in-d-lecture-

to-clear-up-all-your-confusion-on-this-vital-nutrient.aspx) .

 

And remember, spending some smart time out in the sun will optimize levels

of one of your body’s natural defenses against cancer, vitamin D.