A doctor who is afraid of sunscreen arouses contempt

“Vitamin D regulates cancer immunity via the microbiome. Another reason we don’t apply Factor 50 year-round is that it hampers our natural defences,” wrote renowned British doctor Tim Spector, an epidemiologist, twin researcher and author of four books on nutrition and health. Spector has what With nearly 750k followers on X and Instagram, he is taken seriously in the UK.

But is the doctor right? His advice to use smaller amounts resonated with sunscreen avoiders, who already feared the UV filters in sunscreen were carcinogenic. As a side note: There are dozens of filters, and some manufacturers explicitly state which controversial materials they don’t use.

Spector previously tweeted that it’s mainly sunscreen manufacturers who are profiting from what he sees as overblown warning Warmer summers may cause more skin cancer. This time use New mouse research To illustrate his point. He probably made the connection with the microbiome, which is where he himself is Business model Built around it on the basis of, to put it mildly, knowledge that has not yet fully crystallized.

What the researchers in mice were trying to show was a link between vitamin D and changes in the composition of intestinal bacteria and defense against cancer in mice. In humans, they see that cancer occurs more often in patients with vitamin D deficiency, but they have not written anywhere what Spector suggests: that applying the agent 50 365 days a year would reduce the defense against cancer. One researcher calls this a “blatant misinterpretation.”

Freckles and pale skin

when Watchman When asked for an explanation, Spector didn’t hold back a word, except that people with freckles and fair skin, or melanoma in the family, should be careful. “But even for them, taking Factor 50 for 365 days is probably excessive and leading to vitamin D deficiency.”

Although Spector has drawn the scorn of many followers, it is clear that his influence is taken seriously. Doctors, cancer patients, and anti-charlatans gathered on Spector’s timeline to make mincemeat of his tweets. “Good advice, Tim. I’ll immediately stop smearing rats with Factor 50!” After the first storm, Spector posted the same tweet again, both of which now include a warning from Twitter that Spector’s claims are unsubstantiated.

Read also
This NRC article contains nine tips for responsible sun use

What do we know? One in three Dutch people gets sunburned every year, and one in five never protects themselves from the sun. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer with 77,000 cases diagnosed in 2023. Some of this can be prevented, says KWF spokesman Kankerbestrijding, if people follow advice to avoid it. The power of the sun 3 for sun protection. Factor 50 year round is not necessary.

But it is allowed. Most people apply it very thinly It is likely that too much UV rays will pass through rather than too little. Even with exposure to the sun, it is possible to develop a vitamin D deficiency. Certain groups You should take additional supplements anyway. You can also do this with sunscreen.

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