Advice
The advent of summer, in theory at least, brings with it the glory of sun-filled days filled with barbecues, trips to the seaside, and all manner of other enjoyable outdoor pursuits.
It seems churlish to dampen any enthusiasm for that time spent in the sunshine, but as with almost everything enjoyable, there are health concerns to consider. Chief among which is the time-honoured battle between your vitamin D requirements and the risk of skin cancer.
Vitamin D vs Skin Cancer
Sunshine is the biggest source of vitamin D, and given the long, gloomy winters that are a feature of the UK, its inhabitants can really struggle to get enough of the stuff, to the point where around a fifth of adults in the UK may be deficient according to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence.
Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones and teeth, and most easily acquired from direct sunlight between March and October, from 11am to 3pm. However, that is also the time you're most likely to burn and put yourself at the greatest risk of skin cancer.
According to Cancer Research UK, eight in ten cases of melanoma – the most serious form of skin cancer – could be prevented by employing a little more common sense in the sun. Too much UV radiation damages the DNA in your skin, if enough of this damage builds up, it can lead to skin cancer.
A 10 to 15 minute stroll at lunchtime with your forearms uncovered will be enough for most people to get all the vitamin D they need in summer, and won't put you at substantial risk of sunburn unless global warming turns the UK into a tropical paradise.
However, clearly there are going to be summer days when you want to spend longer outside and staying safe then becomes a more rigorous and quite annoying affair. Generous and frequent applications of sunscreen – at least factor 15 – combined with trips to the shade and covering up are the best bets for burn prevention.
RECOMMENDED: Is Sunbathing Asking for Trouble?
Other Sun Benefits
Aside from vitamin D, there have been many other benefits ascribed to the sun's powerful rays over the years, ranging from improved mood to protection against and alleviation of the symptoms of multiple sclerosis.
The Karolinska Institute in Sweden went further still; suggesting its study on 30,000 women determined that avoiding the sun could kill you. During the 20-year study, the researchers found that those who avoided the sun were twice as likely to die from all causes compared to those with the highest sun exposure, and suggested that in countries with low solar intensity (such as the UK) very restrictive advice about going out in the sun could be harmful to health.
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