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Sunscreen Not So Good for You?

Posted by timothy on from the shibboleth-busters dept.

j-beda writes "Don't like sunscreen? Maybe that tan is good for you. It looks like people are rethinking the common wisdom of avoiding sun exposure... "research suggests that vitamin D might help prevent 30 deaths for each one caused by skin cancer". Maybe if Kurt Vonnegut ever does address MIT grads, he will say something else..."

3 of 616 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Bullshit Health "Science" by Sique · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Now we know about how unhealthy it is to eat too much food, especially fatty, salty or artificially processed food.


    And even the old wisdom that a fatty diet is bad for you, gets challenged. It seems that your LDL/HDL Cholesterine ratio is not easily to change with a low fat diet at all (it seems to be more predetermined by your genetics), and the so called mediterran diet (with 40% of the food energy coming from fat) seems to cause the people to live longer than the usually recommended 30%-energy-from-fat diets.
    --
    .sig: Sique *sigh*
  2. Avoiding sun exposure by Paska · · Score: 5, Interesting

    As much as the geek inside of my wants to say I avoid sunlight at all costs, it's actually quite the opposite.

    I've struggled with acne/pimples a little more then your average Joe Blow, after spending a lot of money on chemicals and useless washing routines I found the cheapest and easiest solution.

    Sunlight, I spend a few (moderate amounts) of time at the beach - and within 1 month of just a few hours per week at the beach, my acne was almost gone.

    Even in winter I now try to spend a few hours per month atleast in my salt water pool, it works wonders. I also drag the laptop outside every few days and just spend a few hours in the moderate sunlight so my skin gets some extra special attention.

  3. Vitamin D "science" backed by tanning assoc. by roj3 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Unfortunately the article does not disclose the researcher's close dealings with the tanning salon industry. Is the science real? Yes. Does it encourage tanning and irresponsible sun exposure? Yes. Solution: it's better to simply drink vitamin D-fortified milk & OJ.

    Let's learn something from Australia, where 1 in 7 people get skin cancer in their lifetimes.

    /.ers would do well to look further into the hard science and get past the industry-backed FUD.

    Rather than, or in addition to, SPF lotion, wear clothing. This brand is lightweight, well-vented and has titanium dioxide built right into the microfiber. My mom (who is sun sensitive from medication) uses them.