HFD Team Vitamin D deficiency is also starting to be a problem in our country, and this factor is influenced by the use of creams with sun filters. Sunscreens can reduce our body’s production of vitamin D.
There is a correlation between sunscreens and the decrease in vitamin D in people who use sunscreens.
Vitamin D levels in the population have gradually decreased to the point of having a more significant vitamin deficiency than in other European countries.
In fact, despite living in a country where the sun is present, individuals are also accustomed to using sunscreens, especially those with high protection.
The effect of sunscreens on vitamin D would reduce the production of vitamin D by 75% and even more, with peaks of up to 92.5% depending on the areas of the body considered.
Vitamin D levels circulating in the body were average or slightly low but not so affected, with a decrease from 7.7% to 13%; therefore, it is not a severe vitamin D deficiency.
Therefore, the correlation “between the use of sunscreens and vitamin D deficiency” remains an area of investigation, given that even the regular use of sunscreens is applied to the skin every year in the summer months.
What is Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a hormone our body produces and is used for many physiological functions, such as reducing inflammation, modulating cell growth, and regulating immune and neuromuscular responses.
Furthermore, many know that vitamin D is essential for bone metabolism, and its deficiency leads to cardiovascular and metabolic diseases and autoimmune diseases.
Vitamin D is, therefore, produced by our body when it is exposed to the sun’s UV-B rays. Its production is influenced by many factors such as latitude, longitude, the climate and the day we are in, the clothes we use and, therefore, how much body is exposed to the sun, our age and the type of pigmentation we have on our skin.
Our body needs to be exposed to the sun for at least 20 minutes a day to produce vitamin D. The areas of the body have a different production of vitamin D; in fact, the face and hands produce less, while the trunk of the body is the one that produces the most vitamin D of all.
It is therefore recommended to stay in the sun even without a shirt to recharge with this vitamin D, but on the other hand, we must remember to protect ourselves from the sun, which damages the skin.
Creams with sun filters are recognized as indispensable for protecting the skin from tumours that can arise from exposure to the sun and cellular ageing.
We remind you that creams with sun filters have various protections up to the highest, SPF 50+, known as total protection. Those with higher protection are usually recommended more for children and those with ashen and sensitive skin.
Conclusion: sunscreens and vitamin D
In conclusion, we could therefore say that according to the recent study document, it will be a good idea to use sun filter creams but evaluate lighter shades to obtain two effects: the first is to allow the skin to receive the charge from the sun to produce the vitamin D and the second to be still protected from the most harmful sun rays.
Avoiding the hours before and after midday is another tip to preserve skin health and prevent vitamin D deficiency.
We remind you that the less hot hours of the morning and afternoon are the most suitable for sunbathing and exposing yourself to the sun with the use of creams with light sun filters, which thus allow the production of vitamin D, which is essential as we have said for the well-being of our organism.
Also Read : How To Sunbathe Properly
