Comments on: Science & Health Channel theme day … Sun!

By: Trisha

Trisha — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 21:10:43 +0000

I just saw a new story today about UVA/UVB protection from sunblock at NPR: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5509976

Apparently some sunscreen makers are being sued now for claiming their products do more than they actually do. One of the issues is that the UVA protection is much weaker but it is UVA that contributes to skin cancer.

Interesting stuff – and I have to admit I was one of the people who trusted what those labels say!

By: Abstract Dimension

Abstract Dimension — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 06:10:36 +0000

You still need some Vitamin D produced by UV radiation, dietary Vitamin D alone isn’t sufficient.

Basically if you go for a 10 or 15 minute walk outside you’d get enough Vitamin D produced and you’d be pretty unfortunate to get sun cancer from that kind of exposre.

By: Tris Hussey

Tris Hussey — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 14:01:04 +0000

That’s right Sasha. A little sun is good for you, there is a reason we’re adapted to turn UV in to vit. D. As for dark skin and skin cancer, that’s hard. Light skinned/fair skinned people do tend to burn more easliy, so they are more at risk. But that’s about all I know.

By: Sasha

Sasha — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 20:09:35 +0000

So this means moderated exposure to the sun can be both helpful and harmful at the same time?

Incidentally, does skin pigmentation, i.e. darker or fairer, really have weight on the posibility of a person to get skin cancer?

By: Tris Hussey

Tris Hussey — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 03:34:50 +0000

I have Trisha. To protect against burning it has to block UV B. I’d say Consumer Reports would be the best place to look for that kind of information. I think there have been calls to allow more UV A in because there are some anti-cancer and other good effects from a little exposure to UV A.

By: Trisha

Trisha — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 03:02:57 +0000

Last night on CNN I saw a story about how most sunblock blocks UVA or UVB (I don’t remember which now) but not the other, at least not very well. And then some monthly test of the emergency thing came on and it blocked out the sound of the story, so I have no idea what else they said or what they suggested people do about it. It was really frustrating. Have you heard anything about this?

By: Tris Hussey

Tris Hussey — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 00:45:18 +0000

Vit. D.

By: laura

laura — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 00:43:59 +0000

ummm this may be a really dumb question, but why milk?