By Janessa Cloward
The advice is almost common knowledge, repeated by everyone from Mom to the American Cancer Society: always apply sunscreen before spending time outside.
In the past, dermatologists have routinely said giving up a tan was a small price to pay for protecting skin from cancer, but a recent study has some doctors rethinking the wisdom of their protective practices.
Dr. Edward Giovannucci, professor of medicine and nutrition at Harvard University, recently conducted a study that found that getting the right amount of vitamin D from the sun could prevent or even treat colon, prostate and lung cancers.
Although there is some risk of skin cancer involved when attempting to get vitamin D from the sun, up to 30 deaths might be prevented for each death caused by skin cancer, Giovannucci told the Associated Press.
Dr. Michael Holick has known about the benefits of vitamin D for 30 years. The chief of endocrinology, nutrition and dietetics at Boston University helped discover vitamin D?s role in cell development and has been urging people to soak up sun ever since.
?Vitamin D regulates cells as they grow and develop,? Holick said. ?Research shows that getting enough vitamin D lowers the risk of cells becoming cancerous, and sunshine is the best source of vitamin D.?
Other sources of the so-called ?sunshine vitamin? are oily fish, fortified milk and supplements. Researchers agree, even with these foods in their diets, most Americans aren?t getting enough vitamin D.
Still, some experts caution the masses not to rush out to the sun decks just yet.
The American Academy of Dermatology has published several pamphlets that advise against seeking vitamin D from the sun. The pamphlets, found on the academy?s Web site, quote prominent dermatologists and epidemiologists like Dr. Vincent DeLeo of Columbia University.
?Under no circumstances should anyone be misled into thinking that natural sunlight or tanning beds are better sources of vitamin D than foods or nutritional supplements,? DeLeo stated.
The pamphlets gave ten reasons not to seek daily intakes of vitamin D from the sun. One reason was the high risk of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.
?Today, melanoma is the most prevalent form of cancer among women aged 25 to 29,? the pamphlets stated. ?It is expected that new cases of melanoma will increase by 10 percent in 2005. This raises an American?s lifetime risk of developing melanoma to one in 34.?
Dr. Gene Lin, a dermatologist from Whittier, Calif., also said people should seek vitamin D from safer sources.
?Personally, I don?t believe risking one cancer in order to prevent another is a wise idea,? he said. ?There are other ways to get vitamin D that don?t involve that risk.?
Lin said he tells his patients never to take risks with the sun. Going outside without sunscreen is one thing he would never suggest to anyone.
?I always tell my patients to apply sunscreen with at least SPF 30 before going outside,? he said. ?No unprotected sun exposure is a good idea. Ever.?