Prevent skin cancer with sunlight and vitamin d

Most people think that the most effective way to prevent skin cancer is to use sunscreen. However, experts reveal that hiding from the sun can also have the same negative effects on health. Then, how to prevent a safe and effective way?

Know first the dangers and benefits of the sun's UV rays for the skin

UV radiation can increase the risk of certain skin cancers, such as squamous cell and basal cell. However, there is a difference that you should know, between UV rays that cause cancer and the health benefits of sunlight. In some cases, UV rays may even be more beneficial for health.

Generally, doctors often give advice, the better you get, the better it is to avoid sun exposure. This is because the skin in old age begins to show signs of damage from excessive sun exposure during a previous life

But the fact is, once you avoid the sun completely, you are just allowing your body to not work as naturally as nature designed your body. Healthy sun exposure is actually an integral part of preventing skin cancer.

Based on research, people who are more active outdoors have a reduced risk of developing melanoma cancer compared to people who work and do activities indoors. This suggests that sun exposure actually also has a protective effect.

Then, are there any vitamins to prevent skin cancer?

Vitamin D is a vitamin that your body produces on its own when exposed to the sun. Vitamin D can affect the genes in the skin and prevent UV damage. Based on the working principle of this one body, avoiding the sun is actually a weapon for you to trigger the risk of skin cancer.

In short, vitamin D that is produced in the body functions to respond to UVB radiation so that it can be useful as a protector from melanoma (a type of cancer cell), as noted in one of the Lancet studies. Unfortunately, applying sunscreen regularly can prevent the build-up of vitamin D in your skin.

Association of dermatologists in America, American Academy of Dermatology, I do not recommend making vitamin D, which is formed from sun exposure, as your main source of vitamin D. The risk of skin cancer from exposure to ultraviolet rays led them to conclude that you should protect yourself from exposure to UV rays and get vitamin D from food, drink, and / or supplements.

How much vitamin D does the body need on a daily basis?

People's body vitamin D needs vary. This is based on your age and condition. According to the source of the Nutritional Adequacy Rate (RDA), the following is the vitamin D requirement that the body needs based on age

• Birth to 1 year - 200 IU (5 mcg / day)
• 1 year to 64 years - 600 IU (15 mcg / day)
• Over 64 years - 800 IU (20 mcg / day)
• Pregnant and lactating women - 600 IU (15 mcg / day)

Apart from being obtained from sunbathing, you can get vitamin D to prevent skin cancer from additional food, drinks and supplements. You can get it through several food sources that contain vitamin D such as fish, egg yolks, liver, cheese and dairy products.

Other benefits of sunlight for skin

Not only does it prevent skin cancer, vitamin D is also able to provide a variety of other health benefits, which you certainly won't be able to get if you constantly avoid the sun. Some of the health benefits that you can get from vitamin D include:

• Increase the body's immune system
• Improved kidney function
• Strength of teeth and bones
• Improvement of the cardiovascular system
• Improved brain function

Understand the risks and benefits of sun exposure

When talking about the risks and benefits of sunlight for human health, one of the most important things is to analyze these two factors so that you can maximize the benefits and minimize the risks in a safe way and minimize the use of sunscreen.

If what dermatologists say about using sunscreen to prevent melanoma is true, then melanoma should decrease as more people use sunscreen. But the reality is that over the last 30 years, along with the increase in sunscreen users, the number of people affected by melanoma has also increased.

Apart from blocking the activation of vitamin D, many sunscreen products contain toxic substances, which is certainly the last thing you want to have in your healthy body. Furthermore, various sunscreen products also contain vitamin A and its derivatives (retinol and retinyl palmitate) and various other harmful ingredients, such as oxybenzone, which have been shown to accelerate the development and spread of malignant skin cancer cells.

Another important factor that you need to remember too, the SPF contained in most sunscreen products can usually only protect the skin from UVB rays, an ultraviolet spectrum light that allows your body to produce vitamin D. Even though the spectrum of sunlight is harmful to the skin in this case. cause damage and skin cancer is UVA rays. So, if you still want to use sunscreen, you should make sure beforehand that the product you buy can protect your skin from UVA and UVB.

The most sensible and wisest way to protect yourself from sun exposure is to cover any exposed areas with a cheesecloth if you are only going to be out for a short time. You can also wear a wide hat when you are outdoors for extended periods of time.