TUESDAY, June 22, 2010 (Health.com) — It’s that time of year again. As the weather heats up, people across the country are dusting off their barbecues, breaking out the swimsuits—and working themselves into a frenzy over the latest sunscreen-related health concerns.
Each year since 2007, a consumer watchdog organization known as the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has been issuing a report on sunscreen safety as summer gets under way. The reports tend to be a bit alarming, and this year’s was no different.
The group gave its stamp of approval to just 39 of the 500 sunscreens it evaluated this year, and it says that some common sunscreen ingredients may disrupt hormone function or even increase the risk of melanoma—the deadliest form of skin cancer.
The hazards outlined in the report have generated headlines and even caught the attention of Charles Schumer, a U.S. Senator for New York. Last week, in response to the report’s mention of a possible link between skin cancer and a type of vitamin A (retinyl palmitate) found in many sunscreens, Sen. Schumer called for the FDA to evaluate the data on the vitamin and map out new sunscreen regulations.
In addition, the EWG stated that sunscreen may be giving sunbathers a “false sense of security” regarding their skin cancer risk, and could even be contributing to vitamin D deficiency.
But don’t cancel that beach vacation just yet. Dermatologists say that while the group does raise some valid concerns, it shouldn’t discourage people from using sunscreen.
Source : new.health
No comments:
Post a Comment