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Healthy You Archives |
Protecting Your Health
Sunscreen vs. Vitamin D—Is There a Conflict? You know that too much sun can cause sunburn, wrinkling and skin cancer.You also know that vitamin D—vital for strong bones and overall health—is the “sunshine vitamin.” Could your sunscreen be depriving you of healthy sunlight? “Absolutely not!” says Robert Thompson, M.D., dermatologist at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “Most people get enough sunlight walking to and from their car or being outside for brief periods. It’s very important to use sunscreen to protect yourself, especially at midday when the sun is strongest.” You can’t always rely on sunshine to meet your daily vitamin D requirement, especially in a northern climate. The experts recommend 200 IU (international units) through age 50, 400 IU from age 51 to 70 and 600 IU thereafter. The major food sources are oily fish (salmon, tuna, sardines) and vitamin D-fortified milk and breakfast cereal. If you’re concerned about getting enough vitamin D, take a multivitamin. Some breastfed babies need one in their first year to prevent rickets, says pediatrician Jan Floyd, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. (Bottle-fed babies get enough vitamin D in formula.) But be careful—you can overdose on this vitamin. The upper limit is 1,000 IU daily for first-year babies and 2,000 IU after that. Meanwhile, take a balanced approach to sun exposure for yourself and your children. “It’s important not to let youngsters burn, which can cause long-term damage and lead to skin cancer later,” Floyd says. “But never seeing the sun isn’t healthy either.”
Want to Know More? Click here for tips on using sunscreen effectively. This page last updated 2/12/08 04:08 PM
ARTICLE TOOLS:
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 July August 2005 Eating Healthy
Staying Fit
Caring for Mind and Body
Just for Women
Just for Men
Raising a Family
Heart of Healthy You
Protecting Your Health
Coping with Illness
Aging Well
Keeping Up to Date
Weight Control
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