The skin is one of the most sensitive areas of our body and is a quick absorber of rays from the sun. A study conducted by professionals from the University of Leeds has put forth that individuals with pale complexion who tend to readily burn in the sun may need to consume supplements to assure that they have adequate amounts of vitamin D in their blood.
The findings suggest that those who are fair-skinned may not be able to stay in the sun for the right amount of time to have sufficient proportion of vitamin D in the body. This also seems to avoid sunburn. It also implies that melanoma patients ought to take supplements too.
However, experts believe that sunlight and supplements are not the sole sources of vitamin D in the body. Some innate differences in the mechanism of developing vitamin D in the body, also hold significance. The scientists inspected about 1,200 individuals and found sub-optimal levels in the blood of almost 730 people. Fair skinned people seemed to have prominently lower levels.
Professor Julia Newton-Bishop, lead author of the study based in the Cancer Research UK centre at the University of Leeds, remarked, “Fair-skinned individuals who burn easily are not able to make enough vitamin D from sunlight and so should take vitamin D supplements.This should be considered for the majority of populations living in a mild climate like the UK and melanoma patients in particular.â€
As per this study, the right amount of vitamin D in the body is supposedly 60nmol/L. Initial studies have shown that persons having lower than this level of vitamin D may be more prone to heart diseases and weak breast cancer survival. Vitamin D levels below 25nmol/L could be attributed to poor bone health. Higher proportions, around 60nmol/L seemingly accounts for optimal health influences.
The authors conclude that consulting a physician regarding vitamin D levels is a good alternative. The study is published in the journal Cancer Causes and Control.