Other studies show that people who are vitamin D deficient are at an increased risk of certain types of cancer—including breast, ovarian, prostate and pancreatic cancer—Whitthorne says. An article this month in Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention notes that studies are inconclusive so far, but that maintaining sufficient levels of vitamin D might be a “promising approach” to preventing or treating cancer.
Overall research linking vitamin D deficiency to different diseases is still under big debate, according to Manolagas.
The National Institutes of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements Web site says experts suggest five to 30 minutes of sun exposure between 10 a. m. and 3 p. m. at least twice a week to the face, arms, legs or back without sunscreen to maintain adequate vitamin D levels. But the federal agency also warns it is “important to routinely use sunscreen to help prevent skin cancer or other negative effects.”
Daniel Davis, dermatopathologist at the UAMS, says he spends every day correcting the ravages of skin cancer, including removing people’s noses, eyes and ears. While there is excitement over the possibility that vitamin D might help fight cancer, it’s important to remember the known dangers of sun exposure, he says.
“Is the sun is important to human beings? Yes, we couldn’t survive without it,” Davis adds. “Does sun cause skin cancer? It’s indisputable. So where is the happy medium?”
Kaufman said 1.35 million new cases of skin cancer were diagnosed in 2006, more than all other types of cancer. Sun damage builds up slowly over time, he said, so it could be as long as 20 years before a person develops skin cancer.
“Is it safe to get a little bit of color; is it safe to get tan? The answer is no,” Kaufman says. “A tan, freckles or a sunburn are all signs of damage from the sun to a person’s skin.”
Manolagas recommends people use common sense.
“Certainly sunbathing for hours in the Caribbean is one extreme, and going outside with short sleeves in the summer for half an hour or one hour of work is a completely different thing,” he says. “While people who are greater risk of developing skin cancer should take precautions, covering every part of your body and hiding from the sun is certainly not the way we humans were made.”
Source: Arkansas Democrat Gazette
