Recently a study was presented that show that tanning protects against blood clots by Håkan Olsson, professor of oncology (the study of tumour diseases). According to the researchers should not the risk of skin cancer overstated as it scares people from being in the sun. But sun advice of the Swedish type has long been challenged by leading international researchers. Read a selection of the criticisms largely not been in Sweden.
Swedish sun advice is in principle at any time not exposing them to the sun. These ideas are increasingly being undermined by the international scientific community. It is time to ask the question if the Swedish authorities rather undermine public health than strengthens it. Here are a selection of what different researchers say and what the subject of various research projects. Everything can be substantiated and source references.
Edward Giovannucci, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health:
"Government officials spend too much time to scare Americans away from the sun."
"Vitamin D may prevent 30 deaths for each death caused by skin cancer."
Giovannucci presented one of the heaviest trials, in spring 2005 on the American Cancer Association's annual conference in Anaheim, California. He found through his research that the mortality from cancer in general would be reduced by 30% if the body had sufficient vitamin D supplementation. [1]
Michael Thun, American Cancer Society (ACS) chief epidemiologist:
"There is evidence that vitamin D can prevent cancer and vitamin D can be used in the treatment of already developed cancer."
Professor Johan Moan at Radium Hospitalet and Natural Instititution at the University of Oslo:
"We Scandinavians can advantageously afford us a few minutes in the solarium a week. It is good for the body, and prevents both cancer and other diseases.”
"The chance to survive in skin cancer is greater if you tan than if you do not do it."
"I had the same opinion as the Swedish authorities before I began my research on the sun, skin cancer and vitamin D for 10 years ago, but has had to gradually abandon my old positions."
”The solariums, unlike the real sun, it would have no effect on health, Professor Moan dismisses as a mere myth.”
Michal Melamed, an assistant professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.
Conducted a study with over 13 000 participants were funded by the U.S. National Health Institute. The study showed:
· 26% increased death risk for vitamin D deficiency.
· People who were short of vitamin D had 26 percent higher risk of dying prematurely compared with those who had the most vitamin D in the blood.
75% of our vitamin D we get from the sun. Then, dairy products and fatty fish. In Sweden, however, the sun gives hardly any vitamin D from November to March.
Mats Humble, doctors and psychiatrists:
· The short summer months in Sweden does not provide enough sun. Consequences including increased risk of autism.
· This is particularly dark-skinned that need more sun to meet the body's need for vitamin D. For example, call the Somalis autism for "Swedish disease".
More health benefits from tanning
More on research into solar and health can be found in the document "It is healthy to tan" here in the press room. It contains of course full source references. A selection from the ”It is healthy to tan ":
· It is no coincidence that brittle bones (osteoporosis) are a major problem in Scandinavia: Osteoporosis and a lack of vitamin D are linked.
· • A study shows that vitamin D has a positive impact in the treatment of those who already had cancer - in this case lung cancer.
· Men who are exposed to a little sun run twice as likely to develop prostate cancer as men who are regularly exposed too much sun.
· The risk of breast cancer, lymph node cancer and skin cancer reduce because of the vitamin D formed in the sun.
· There are dozens of cancers that are dependent on the lack of sunlight.
· Two reports (including one Swedish) point to both kidney cancer and one of the deadliest cancers there are, namely pancreatic cancer, is dependent on the lack of sunlight. Looking at the world map for pancreatic cancer (pancreas cancer), we see that the highest rates found in Scandinavia.
· In the Swedish Social Welfare Board publication "Cancer in Figures 2005”, it is on page 59 that “pancreatic cancer is very rare, e.g. Africa and India. "
· There are also studies showing that we actually feel good mentally to the sun - and it depends not only on that feels good to see the brown and crisp, but because of the body to secrete endorphins that make us feel better.
· Ultra Tan’s new solariums and stir generate UVB radiation in the active vitamin D production region (295-315 nm). This has been verified by the National Institute for Materials Testing.
· Eight leading dermatologists carried out an extensive study a few years ago in an attempt to prove the link between tanning in a solarium and malignant melanoma (skin cancer). Therefore people in the age group 18-49 years were chosen from six European countries, which tanned very much in solariums. The report says: "The use of solariums in this group was greater than in any other study carried out". The conclusion: "there was no evidence of any connection between tanning in a solarium and malignant melanoma.[2]"
· A Swedish / Danish research team found that those who tanned really much showed 30 - 40% less likely to develop lymph node cancer (Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma) than those who did not tan at all. The study showed that the more you tanned the less was the risk to develop lymph node cancer.
[1] (1). The Role of Vitamin D in Cancer Incidence and Mortality, Professor Edward Giovannucci, D.Sc., M.D. Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 2005.
[2] (13) Sun bed use and risk of melanoma: results from a large multicentric European study. P.H. Autier, E. De Vries, A.M.M Eggermont, J.W. Coebergh, U.Ringborg, Y. Bandberg, V. Bataille and A.R. Grivegne, Luxenbourg Health Institute).