By Dr. Roger Moore
April 25, 2016
Category: Uncategorized
Tags: skin cancer   skin   dermatology   skin care   sun   Vitamin D   sunshine  

Hello My Friend,

I sit down to write this blog post as I read yet another article about the potential health epidemic tied to the skin. What problem? Vitamin D is the problem.  Maybe you have heard of the stir it has caused, and maybe not. According to WebMD, researchers have found low Vitamin D to be a problem in too many Americans. Scientific America reported up to three-quarters of U.S. teens and adults are deficient in Vitamin D, the so called “sunshine vitamin.”  

What does this have to do with you and me? Well Vitamin D is a vitamin which uses a conversion process in the skin to make it useful for our body. The conversion process requires sunlight. So, many people have jumped on a bandwagon trying to encourage more sun exposure. The benefits are felt to be elevated Vitamin D levels and a reduction in the possible problems tied to low Vitamin D like cancer, heart disease, infection, and other health problems.  

The problem is that skin cancer is also rising at epidemic proportions. In fact, over 3.5 million cases of basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma are diagnosed in the U.S. each year. Some experts estimate as many as 1 in 3 Americans will get skin cancer at some point in their life.   

Therefore, we are caught in a dilemma. Should we get more sun or not? The American Academy of Dermatology has made it clear we cannot put ourselves at risk of skin cancer if possible. They provided a position statement to describe their recommendations which includes to continue protecting the skin from the sun and work to get Vitamin D from dietary supplements. Taking oral Vitamin D was felt to be the most important step in getting levels up to normal if they were low. 

In short, we should be aware of this ‘hot topic’ as well as our own Vitamin D levels. In addition, we need to make sure we are taking enough daily, and still be aware of the harmful impact the sun can have on the body.

I wish you all much success, peace, and happiness. 

Roger Moore, MD

0 Comment(s) Permalink

Comments:






Archive:

Tags