DOES SUNSCREEN PREVENT VITAMIN D ABSORPTION?
Summer is finally here. After spending most of spring holed up inside, we’re all ready to catch some rays and boost our vitamin D levels. Faced with growing concerns about vitamin D deficiency, many people have decided to ditch the sunscreen in order to make sure their body absorbs enough ultraviolet (UV) rays. However, medical experts warn that this is a dangerous, potentially deadly decision.
Department of Health and Human Services and the World Health Organization have identified solar UV radiation as a carcinogen. Studies have shown that regular use of sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher reduces your chances of developing squamous cell carcinoma by about 40%, melanoma by 50%, and premature skin aging by 24%. Regular sunscreen use is necessary to protect your health. Additionally, the idea that sunscreen use leads to vitamin D deficiency is groundless. Clinical studies have never shown that daily sunscreen use leads to vitamin D deficiency. This is because no matter how high a sunscreen’s SPF may be, some of the sun’s UV rays still reach your skin. An SPF 15 sunscreen filters out 93% of UVB rays while an SPF 50 sunscreen filters out 98%. This is good news because it doesn’t take much sun exposure for your body to produce vitamin D. If you’re worried about your levels of vitamin D, then talk to your doctor about getting a blood test. If you are vitamin D deficient, your doctor can help you come up with safe ways to get more vitamin D. These strategies may include changing your diet or taking supplements. It is important to make sure you’re getting enough vitamin D, which helps maintain bone health by regulating calcium levels. However, risking skin cancer in order to raise your vitamin D levels is not a safe strategy. Feel free to get plenty of sun this summer, just make sure you apply sunscreen before you go out.
It is proven that regular sunscreen protects you not just from sunburns but from skin damage and deadly forms of skin cancer. Both the U.S.
Spicy Salmon Cucumber Bites
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Ingredients •
a prize package filled with great goods and services from some of the people I interviewed in my videos.
1/4 cup paleo mayonnaise 1/4 tsp smoked paprika 1/4 tsp Tabasco, or to taste 1/2 lb salmon, cooked 1 tbsp minced shallots 1 tbsp chopped chives Salt and pepper, to taste 1 English cucumber, peeled
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The package included a three-month gym membership, house cleaning services, a box of groceries, bottles of wine, and even lawn care services. In addition to giving this package away to someone who donated to ASK, I put together a second package to be donated to someone in the medical field who has been on the front lines fighting the virus. This was my way of saying thank you to those who have risked so much to keep our community safe. The drive was a great success and helped bring attention to their mission. Thank you to everyone who watched the videos and donated. In a time when a lot of folks felt powerless, it felt great to come together and support a good cause. Doing these Facebook Live videos has been a lot of fun, and it’s something I plan on continuing. If you’ve somehow missed all these videos, then you can find them on my personal Facebook page as well as on the Sklar Technology Facebook page at Facebook.com/SklarTechnology. Take a look and let me know how you’ve had to adapt and digitize over the last few months.
4 cherry tomatoes, quartered for garnish
Directions 1. In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, paprika, and Tabasco. 2. Flake the salmon into large bite-size pieces. 3. Add the salmon, shallots, chives, salt, and pepper to the Tabasco mixture and combine. 4. Cut the cucumber into 3/4-inch slices. 5. Using a melon-baller, scoop out the center of each cucumber slice but leave the bottom fully intact so the filling doesn’t fall through. 6. Divide the salmon mixture and put dollops into each cucumber slice. 7. Garnish with cherry tomato. Inspired by NomNomPaleo.com
–Randy Sklar
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