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Written By: Agencies | Published : February 8, 2016 6:51 PM IST
US researchers have found a new sunscreen that guarantees no loss of vitamin D, rather allows the body to produce the essential vitamin, a deficiency or insufficiency of which causes major health problems in both adults and children. Researchers from Boston University in the US developed Solar D, through a process in which the ingredients of a sunscreen are altered in such a way that it does not impact its sun protection factor (SPF), but does allow the body to produce vitamin D. 'Solar D was designed with compounds with differing filter compositions to maximise vitamin D production while maintaining its sun protection for reducing erythema or burning of the skin,' said Michael F. Holick, professor at Boston University. Read: More sunlight and dairy will not help Indians with Vitamin D deficiency
Sun exposure has been the major source of vitamin D for most children and adults worldwide. However, the increased risk of skin cancer led to the widespread usage of sunscreens. As a result, an SPF of 30 when properly applied reduces the capacity of the skin to produce vitamin D by almost 98 percent, the researchers said. There are several chemical compounds that are typically used in a sunscreen that efficiently absorbed varying wavelengths of UVB radiation, the researchers explained in the study published in the journal PLOS ONE. Read: 5 reasons you need sunshine and not just for Vitamin D!
After removing certain ingredients, the researchers compared Solar D, which has an SPF of 30, to a popular commercial sunscreen with the same SPF, and found Solar D allowed for up to 50 percent more production of vitamin D in-vitro.
Source: IANS
Image source--Getty Images
