Government policy on sun protection challenged in new report
Current public health policy in the UK denies the health benefits of sunlight, claims a new report. “Sunlight robbery”, written
by Oliver Gillie, a former medical editor of The Sunday Times, recommends
that the current skin cancer awareness campaign should be abandoned
in favour of a campaign that encourages the public to expose themselves
safely to the sun.
The report examines evidence suggesting that vitamin D deficiency caused
by lack of sunlight increases the risk of chronic diseases including
16 types of cancer, multiple sclerosis, schizophrenia, diabetes, high
blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. The author says that contrary
to current recommendations, short periods of time outdoors in the UK
do not provide sufficient sunlight for adequate vitamin D production.
He says that a white-skinned person needs to sunbathe in bright midday
sun with few clothes for at least three 20 minute sessions per week in
the summer to obtain an optimum amount of vitamin D, and a person with
dark skin would need to sunbathe for three two-hour sessions per week.
Tony Moffat, chief scientist at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society told
The Journal: “The report is a very polarised view which looks at
some scientific sources to reinforce the author’s views. He makes
a good point about people needing vitamin D. However, the criticism of
government policy regarding protection against the sun is not valid because
the author has been selective in his quotations.”
The report, published by the Health Research Forum, says that people
with indoor jobs cannot obtain an optimal level of vitamin D, and that
it is advisable for most people to take a supplement. Professor Moffat
pointed out that Martindale states that daily requirements of vitamin
D in adults are small and may indeed be met mainly by exposure to sunlight
and/or obtained from the diet. In the UK, a dietary intake is considered
unnecessary for adults living a normal lifestyle who are being exposed
to solar radiation. Professor Moffat added that people who may be at
risk of vitamin D deficiency include the elderly or the housebound.
This report coincides with a Which? report finding that some commonly
used sunscreens do not provide the level of protection claimed by the
manufacturers. Which? tested 10 creams that claimed to have a Sun Protection
Factor of 15 or 16. It found that the Simple, Boots Soltan and Superdrug
Solait SPF 15 sunscreens had SPFs of 9, 10 and 11, respectively. Which? acknowledges that test results can vary and says that on re-testing Simple
sunscreen achieved a borderline pass. The report says that the manufacturers
claim that the creams passed their own tests. Which? also found that
only the sunscreen from Boots claimed and lived up to maximum five star
UVA protection. Professor Moffat suggested that pharmacists look at the
report to help advise customers on purchasing creams whose SPF rating
meets the claim. |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal
Acrobat
Reader