Anti-aging basics: avoid the sun? In short: yes to save your skin, but not completely if you want to maintain strong bones. Over exposure to sunlight is a major cause of skin aging. A sun tan is evidence of damage to your skin. Sun burn increases your risk of developing skin cancer. None of this is news to you, I’m sure, and you probably already slap on a moisturiser with a sun protection (SPF) of at least 15 every day. But what about when you go on holiday? That glorious week or two in the sun, that you have worked hard for and looked forward to all year. Are you still as careful to protect yourself from the aging effects of the sun? Or does the desire for a sun-kissed face and body take over? If you want to stay looking young, arguably the best advice is to stay out of the sun, and opt instead for the ‘pale and interesting’ look. Having said that, looking young on the outside and being healthy on the inside are not the same thing, and avoiding the sun completely could be doing you more harm than good. Our bodies need a regular supply of vitamin D to help the absorption of dietary calcium and maintain strong bones. Vitamin D is found in some foods such as fish, eggs and fortified cereals and spreads. However, food is not the best source of vitamin D – the sun is. Exposure to sunlight stimulates the production of vitamin D within the body. The amount of sun exposure needed to produce enough vitamin D is not the same for everyone. Advice has been issued by a UK task-force comprising several health charities including the British Association of Dermatologists, Cancer Research UK, Diabetes UK, the Multiple Sclerosis Society, the National Heart Forum, the National Osteoporosis Society and the Primary Care Dermatology Society. The advice states that the time required is “typically short and less than the time needed to redden or burn”, and that regularly going outside for a few minutes around the middle of the day without sunscreen should be sufficient. Weight-bearing exercise is also important in maintaining good bone health, so go and do a few minutes of jumping jacks at 12pm every day for a double anti-aging fix!
Posted on: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 09:55:37 +0000
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