A lot of us dread the summer heat because it tends to make us sick. However, a hearty summer also means a lot of sun tan. To combat the skin darkening effect of the summers and to keep UVA and UVB radiation at bay, using a sunscreen lotion is a common practice among people, worldwide. Sunscreen protects the skin against skin cancer, reduce the chances against premature aging, etc.
However, a research published in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association has put forward the larger problem associated with the usage and application of sunscreens.
Application of sunscreen lotions and creams can cause the deficiency of Vitamin D. Excessive use of Sunscreen can make your muscles and bones weak. This can further increase the risk of bone fractures.
The study has de-threaded the stat that the worldwide popularity of sunscreen might have caused approximately one billion people, the risk of insufficient levels of Vitamin D.
The description of the study involved the fact that it is essential for the human skin to have some exposure to the sunlight. If people spend a little time outdoors, basking in moderate sunlight, their body cells can produce ample amount of Vitamin D.
Vitamin D aids the body with cell growth and promotes bone growth. Apart from these benefits, Vitamin D plays an important role in the immune and the neuromuscular body system. Now imagine your body not getting the adequate levels of Vitamin D and hence falling prey to so many crucial health issues. As per a study from 2016, Vitamin D also helps the body to stabilize Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Kim Pfotenhauer, Assistant Professor at Touro University in California explained, “People are spending less time outside and, when they do go out, they’re typically wearing sunscreen, which essentially nullifies the body’s ability to produce Vitamin D.”
As a word of caution, the research says that the application and usage of sunscreen with an SPF 15 or higher can lead the body into declining the production of Vitamin D3 production by 99 per cent.
The caution definitely doesn’t mean that people should completely stop the usage of sunscreen or go around sunbathing regularly. All they need to do is take a simple 5-30 minutes of a stroll in the sun with their legs and arms exposed, twice a week. This will be enough to aid the body procedure with the production of Vitamin D and maintenance of a healthy level.