Drugs and Medicine

Skin health: Sunlight & breast cancer

Sun exposure is very important for skin health, is a principal source of vitamin D, and could prevent the risk of breast cancer.

Researchers compared the skin of 1,788 women who were newly diagnosed and 2,129 similar women without breast cancer. The Hispanic, African American, and non-Hispanic white women, who lived in the San Francisco Bay area, were aged 35 to 79.

Those whose skin showed more signs of sun exposure were 47 percent less likely to have advanced breast cancer. But that was true only among women who had light pigmented skin (measured under the arm where it wasn't exposed to the sun).

What to do: It's too early to say if sunlight or vitamin D has the abilities to prevents breast cancer, but it's still worth taking 1,000 IU a day of vitamin D. It's also worth getting some sun if you can avoid getting sunburn.

No Comment | Posted in » breast cancer, of vitamin D, Skin health