To think we're far too scared of the sun!

[BedHanger]

A leading lecturer in dermatology at Edinburgh university has said that the benefits of sun exposure "may far outweigh the risks" after a new study has shown an hour's exposure significantly reduces blood pressure:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-22433359

This is on top of our growing understanding of the vital role played by vitamin d in health.

AIBU to worry more about whether my DC are getting sufficient sun than about the potential risks? I don't let them burn btw, but I do make sure they have plenty of sun cream-free time whenever possible.

It may not be a common killer in terms of other cancers but when it does kill you it's pretty vicious. It's one of the ones that's not particularly treatable, once it has grown deep enough to access lymphatic and venous systems you've basically had it, give or take a few years or unless something else kills you in the interim.

Survival is shit for melanoma, unless it's 'in situ'

morbidity and mortality rates are up there

'I know people with skin cancer, my FIL has had 2 growths removed from his ears. He's a farmer so has spent his whole working life outside.'

sounds like basal or squamous cell, not the same thing as melanoma obvs - these are unlikely to spread beyond immediate area. You're more likely to get several primaries of this type than a primary then mets.

I will say, I don't know anyone with skin cancer, but I knew someone with it for roughly 9 months after she was diagnosed. And 15 years before she was diagnosed. She died aged 34. I learned a lot in those months.

Chunderella. I am glad that you are pointing out the dangers of skin cancer, and that you have indicated that it particularly affects white-skinned people.

But forgive me, my DCs are not going to get it. They are mixed race. The chances of them getting it are vanishingly small in the first instance, living, as we do in the UK.

The bigger risk by far for them is the risk associated with Vitamin D deficiency. And you know, this alarmist stuff you are spouting about skin cancer? Does it ever occur to you that it might be worse even for white people living in the UK to cover up all the time? There really is not a lot of sunshine in the UK

'But forgive me, my DCs are not going to get it. They are mixed race. The chances of them getting it are vanishingly small in the first instance, living, as we do in the UK. '

Erm what an odd thing to be absolutely certain of

Look at the statistics.

Just look at them.

Then sneer

sneer?

Wuldric, hopefully your children wont get it, but with such a cavalier attitude it'll be purely through luck

Sneer?!! How odd.

I haven't read the whole thread, but recently I got thinking from a link on here.....

mums change to non bio washing powder... but then cover their babies in sun cream.

"And you know, this alarmist stuff you are spouting about skin cancer? Does it ever occur to you that it might be worse even for white people living in the UK to cover up all the time? There really is not a lot of sunshine in the UK"

No it's not worse to cover up and you can get sun damage when the sun isn't actually shinning.

As far as your children not beng at risk, I hope you're right but bear in mind that darker-skinned people are more susceptible to acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM) (the deadliest type of skin cancer) that typically appears on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.

You are saying that it is not worse to cover up

The op has quoted a lecturer in dermatology who suggests that it is worse to cover up. Even for white people.

You are all mental. There is less chance of my dcs getting skin cancer living in the UK than there is of them winning the lottery. I think. I am just going through the statistics now (because I am anal like that and besides, I like statistics).

"The op has quoted a lecturer in dermatology who suggests that it is worse to cover up. Even for white people."

Worse than what?

Poppy- Strokes, heart attacks and high blood pressure.

Bob Marley died of skin cancer.

All things in moderation. Doesn't have to be black and white thinking.

we're all mental? I think Wuldric that you are possibly the odd one out here.

Have a look at The Vitamin D Solution by Michael Holick. He talks about it . Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to a large number of illnesses, including osteoporosis, MS, arthritis, diabetes, depression and more.

Supplements are not nearly as effective as sunlight. And unfortunately, as far north as the UK is, we are not able to synthesize vitamin D at all during winter (Oct - Mar). It's also harder for people with darker skins to get enough vitamin D.

Michael Holick suggests sensible amounts of time to go sun-screen free, based on your latitude and skin type. I can't find his tables online anywhere but for fair skinned, Northern Europeans, safe exposure in May in the UK would be 25-40 minutes before 11:00.

My mother has had a melanoma removed and I have been very careful about letting my children go out in the sun unprotected. I now realise that I may have set them up for a lifetime of other problems - p4. (paraphrased) a girl having lived in northern latitudes up to age 10 has a 100% increased risk of developing MS no matter where she lives for the rest of her life. Also increased risk of fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, preeclampsia, unplanned C-section and having a child who will suffer from schizophrenia, not to mention increased risk of internal cancers, hypertension, osteoporosis, arthritis, depression, obesity, type 2 diabetes, dementia ...

I have been tested and am vitamin D deficient but struggle to get out into the sun because I work full time in an office. And it rains at weekends!

The new heart disease research is about nitric oxide production triggered by sun exposure, which is not something that can be substituted by simply taking a vitamin pill.

My general view is that I am descended from people who moved up from Africa to the north, and whose offspring evolved a useful light skinned mutation. I wouldn't be this colour if thousands of ancestors hadn't proved that it was broadly better this way to get as much as possible of the tragic excuse for sunshine we have in this country. Unfortunately the price we pay for this advantage at reproductive age is skin cancer at an older age, so we need to try and strike a balance. Skin cancer treatment is not something I want, but I don't want MS, breast cancer or colo-rectal cancer either (or prostate cancer for my son) and those are increasingly persuasively linked to low sun exposure.

Yes, I'm aware that Bob Marley died of skin cancer. I am not aware of a single case of any black-skinned person dying of skin cancer who lives in the UK, where the skies are mostly grey. Perhaps Chunderella or someone who works in this field might be able to enlighten me.

Slightly frustrated not to be able to get any proper statistics on this, but the McMillan website says this:

"Black- or brown-skinned people have an extremely low risk of developing skin cancer because the pigment melanin in their skin gives them protection."

What I am really looking for is studes showing what proportion of UK resident individuals get cancer, further broken down by ethnicity. Can anyone help?

"Poppy- Strokes, heart attacks and high blood pressure."

I assume you mean due to Vitamin D deficiency - in which case, as it's been said repeatedly on this thread, take a supplement.

D3 is widely available, affordable (free for children through the NHS, I believe) and safe so there's your problem solved.

In fact, if your concern is deficiency, you must know that it's not possible to "store" it, therefore your sporadic 15 minutes a week in the sun unprotected is not going to make a difference. It might however put you risk of skin cancer.

*apologies for the number of typos

So, you are suggesting that people who can get enough vitamin d quite naturally from sunlight should cover up (either by staying indoors or by putting chemical blockers on the skin) and make up the deficiency of vitamin d by taking supplements (which have their own issues).

Does it ever occur to you how unnatural all this is? How fundamentally wrong?

Poppy, I quoted those illnesses from the study the OP has linked to. It's nothing to do with me.

The study concluded that sunlight helped these illnesses, not a deficiency in vit D.

There so much nonsense on this thread, it's quite ridiculous.

I do wonder if people have actually read the study this thread is referring to. And this study isn't the first to say that sunlight is GOOD for people, including children.