To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: Sun Protection Doesn't Cause Vitamin D Deficiency URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/4A642.htm Doctor's Guide December 2, 1997
SCHAUMBURG, IL -- December 2, 1997 -- Concerns that daily protection from the sun can lead to vitamin D deficiency appear to be unwarranted, according to a study reported in this month's issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD). Vitamin D is sometimes called the sunshine vitamin because the human body manufactures it from exposure to sunlight. It also is obtained from certain foods, including milk, and is essential for bone integrity and absorption of calcium. Some people have expressed concern that those who practice daily sun protection by use of sunscreens and sun-protective clothing may be putting themselves at risk for vitamin D deficiency. To test the validity of this concern, dermatologists with the federal government's National Institutes of Health in Washington, MD., studied vitamin D intake and levels in the blood in eight individuals expected to be at high risk for vitamin D deficiency. The four men and four women took extreme measures to avoid the sun because they had xeroderma pigmentosum, an inherited disease that causes severe sun sensitivity and carries a highly increased risk for skin cancer. All eight patients daily minimized their sun exposure to five minutes or less, applied sunscreens with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 and wore clothing that protected them from the sun. Study participants did not receive vitamin D or calcium supplements. Six of them maintained a diet that contained at least the recommended daily allowance of vitamin D for adults, 200 IU. Mean serum vitamin D levels were normal, with almost all patients' values in the low normal to mid-normal range. "This study shows that nearly non-sun-exposed, active, ambulatory persons are capable of maintaining a normal vitamin D level through diet alone," said Kenneth Kraemer, M.D., a research dermatologist at the National Institutes of Health and one of the study authors. "Concerns about vitamin D deficiency should not preclude routine sunscreen use in normal, active individuals as long as they maintain an adequate diet." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.