Sunlight exposure and fair skin are major determinants of vitamin D production, but they are also risk factors for cutaneous malignant melanoma. Swedish researchers have now investigated the influence of sunlight on all-cause mortality in a 20-year study of 30,000 women.
As a baseline for the study, the participants provided the researchers with detailed information on their sun exposure habits. The scientists discovered that all-cause mortality was inversely related to sun exposure habits. The mortality rate of women who avoided sunlight was twice as high as that of women who spent the most time in the sun.
"In their study, the Swedish researchers have provided observational evidence that avoiding sunlight increases all-cause mortality. The restrictive advice given by countries with low levels of sunlight to protect against or even avoid sunlight can in fact be a risk to women's health", says Ad Brand of the Sunlight Research Forum (SRF).
Source:
1) Pelle G. Lindqvist, Elisabeth Epstein, Mona Landin-Olsson, Christian Ingvar, Kari Nielsen, Magnus Stenbeck & Håkan Olsson: Sun exposure habits and all-cause mortality, doi: 10.1111/joim.12251- April 2014
As a baseline for the study, the participants provided the researchers with detailed information on their sun exposure habits. The scientists discovered that all-cause mortality was inversely related to sun exposure habits. The mortality rate of women who avoided sunlight was twice as high as that of women who spent the most time in the sun.
"In their study, the Swedish researchers have provided observational evidence that avoiding sunlight increases all-cause mortality. The restrictive advice given by countries with low levels of sunlight to protect against or even avoid sunlight can in fact be a risk to women's health", says Ad Brand of the Sunlight Research Forum (SRF).
Source:
1) Pelle G. Lindqvist, Elisabeth Epstein, Mona Landin-Olsson, Christian Ingvar, Kari Nielsen, Magnus Stenbeck & Håkan Olsson: Sun exposure habits and all-cause mortality, doi: 10.1111/joim.12251- April 2014
