Now that summer is here, it’s time to peel off the layers and make some vitamin D. But if your skin isn’t as peachy as you would like, or if you are worried about staying safe in the sun, find out how good nutrition may support your skin’s health. Maggie Charlesworth writes
When our ancestors left their caves to do a spot of hunting and gathering, they didn’t have the dilemma of getting enough vitamin D versus the risk of skin cancer (although they probably didn’t live long enough for either to be an issue). However, for us, it is difficult to know what to do because fear of developing skin cancer caused by the very UV rays that we need to make vitamin D has been drummed into our consciousness for at least the last two decades whilst, more recently, vitamin D deficiency has also become a serious health concern.
To get enough UV rays from the sun to make vitamin D, the NHS recommends short periods in the sun without sunscreen, with hands, forearms or legs exposed, but also cautions against spending too much time in the sun without protection and to be careful not to burn. It states: “It’s not known exactly how much time is needed in the sun to make enough vitamin D to meet the body’s requirements. This is because there are a number of factors that can affect how vitamin D is made, such as your skin colour or how much skin you have exposed.”
So, for instance, people with darker skin may need to spend longer in the sun than people with lighter skin to get the same benefit.
And then when it comes to sunscreen, research has also shown that these kinds of cosmetics may not be doing us or the environment a great deal of good either. Last year, it was widely-reported that oxybenzone, a common chemical found particularly in spray-on sunscreens, is a factor in the bleaching and deformation of coral reefs. Meanwhile, plastics from cosmetics are also clogging up our seas, killing wildlife, and finding their way back into the food chain. There is also growing concern that chemicals in household products and cosmetics may act as hormone disrupters, although this is still a fairly new area of research.
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Summer Of
Summer is when we want to be out and about, as the warm embrace of the sofa on a cold winter’s night becomes a distant memory. So where do you go when the brain is willing but the body just can’t cut it at the same level of performance that it managed decades ago? Graeme Wilcockson reviews a few ways to satisfy those competitive weekend instincts that will tax both mind and body — yet leave you able to move on Monday morning
Common Kitchen Practices Making Us Sick
Every year, thousands of us fall sick from food poisoning because of how we have handled food. Louise Scodie and Louise Wates look at common ways in which we are going wrong
Could Antioxidants Save Our Bacan?
Nitrates and nitrites have long been linked to cancer. We look at how they are part of a chain reaction that may not always be harmful to human health... So what’s the case with bacon?
Eat For A Glow That Is More Than Skin Deep
Now that summer is here, it’s time to peel off the layers and make some vitamin D. But if your skin isn’t as peachy as you would like, or if you are worried about staying safe in the sun, find out how good nutrition may support your skin’s health. Maggie Charlesworth writes
Natural Beauty
If headlines about microbeads from cosmetics polluting our seas have got you wondering how you can do your bit for the environment, try using nature’s harvest to feed your skin. Hannah Maryse Robinson writes
A Summer Selection Of Goods And Goodies
Lazy Vegan frozen Chunky Pulled Peaz is a gluten-free, plant-based protein source suitable for vegans and — with a substantial texture — flexitarians.
Do Something Different
As many of us are concerned about keeping our brains active, Ellie Smith investigates whether trying something completely new could boost both our brain health and mental wellbeing
Lifting Weights, Lifting Confidence
When Bianca Mills was bullied at school she could not have dreamt that she would be able to speak in front of a group of women, let alone coach them in lifting free weights. She told Louise Wates why she believes buddying-up is just as important as physical strength for fostering confidence
Teaching Children How To Forage
Catherine Morgan finds out how foraging can teach children (and adults) about more than nature’s store cupboard, and can foster an understanding of and respect for the environment.
Keep Calm And Curry On
In August, India celebrates the anniversary of Indian Independence, yet the Anglo-Indian community, a legacy of the British Raj with its roots in European and Indian ancestry, still treads the cultural line between both communities. Jenny Mallin, author of A Grandmother’s Legacy, tells us about the fusion food in her family and recipes passed down through the generations
