Too little sun causes harm, cancer specialists say [View All]

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http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health_medical/story.jsp?story=622467

Cancer specialists around the world are rethinking their advice to cover up in the sun amid growing concern that staying in the shade may be causing harm.

Australia is revising its warnings about the risks of sun exposure because of fears about vitamin D deficiency, which increases the risk of a range of diseases from cancer to osteoporosis, in what doctors have described as a "revolution".

The British charity Cancer Research UK launches its annual SunSmart campaign today highlighting the dangers of too much sun. But in Australia, health experts warn that some people are getting too little. In a statement, the Cancer Council of Australia said: "A balance is required between avoiding an increase in the risk of skin cancer and achieving enough ultraviolet radiation exposure to achieve adequate vitamin D levels."

Australia is one of the sunniest countries in the world, and vitamin D deficiency is likely to be significantly worse in Britain. A survey in Geelong in Victoria, southern Australia, cited in the cancer council's statement, found that 43 per cent of women suffered a mild vitamin D deficiency and 11 per cent had moderately severe deficiency during winter. Geelong gets an average of 2,007 hours of sunshine a year, 60 per cent more than Glasgow which has 1,250 hours, according to the UK Meteorological Office.