Excellent Rebuff to Prof Gilcrest on Sun Exposure

The Health Gazette recently published a press release from the American Academy of Dermatology. In it Professor Gilcrest, a dermatologist and academic at Boston University, expressed the view that people should essentially avoid sunshine exposure. This is a position with which I do not agree, for many reasons, though I do encourage people to carefully avoid overexposure, especially any severe enough to cause sunburn.

I have expressed my views about the appropriate source of vitamin D being reduced to diet and supplements elsewhere already. It is important to obtain plenty of vitamin D in dietary forms, to supplement effectively when necessary and to obtain regular direct sunshine exposure to the skin, where an important amount of vitamin D should be made by the body.

Dr Gilcrest's position (and that of the Academy for which she speaks) was thoroughly addressed by John Cannell, MD, of The Vitamin D Council. His detailed discussion can be found along with Gilcrest's statement on the Gazette. It makes good reading and given both the importance of Vitamin D for good health and the significantly erroneous information being promoted by many dermatologists, I recommed you take a few minutes from your busy schedule to read it.