Osteoporosis is caused by sun protection? Causes of osteoporosis for office workers +1

Audit expert: Zhang Yuhong

Chief Physician of Dermatology Department, Zhengzhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University

Recently, Ms. Lin from Hangzhou went to the hospital for treatment because she had been suffering from back pain for more than half a year. After a bone density test, the doctor determined that her "back pain and leg pain" was caused by osteoporosis .

After the interview, the reporter found that Ms. Lin pays great attention to sun protection. She spends less than 10 minutes outdoors a day . Even if she has to go out in the sun, she always applies a thick layer of sunscreen and holds up an umbrella to protect herself.

Source: Weibo screenshot

So, is Ms. Lin’s osteoporosis related to her sun protection efforts?

Is osteoporosis only a problem for the elderly?

Most people may think that osteoporosis is a "patent" of the elderly and that they are far away from this disease. However, nowadays, the incidence of osteoporosis is showing an increasing trend and the age of onset is getting younger and younger.

Source: pexels

In response to this phenomenon, doctors said that the content of vitamin D in the body is the basis of human bone health . Lack of sunlight, excessive sun protection, lack of exercise, excessive intake of coffee or cola... these may be the causes of osteoporosis. Therefore, we must learn to protect ourselves from the sun scientifically, neither overprotecting ourselves from the sun nor giving up sun protection because of concerns about osteoporosis.

In the traditional aesthetics of Chinese women, the aesthetic principle of "white is beautiful" has always been adhered to, and sun exposure is the "number one culprit" that causes skin darkening, so everyone avoids it. And with the popularization of a large number of skin care bloggers, people have begun to understand that photoaging is the core cause of our skin aging in addition to natural aging, which makes us more afraid of "seeing the light".

Source: A short video platform/news picture

Recently, there is a very popular joke on the short video platform. It tells the story of a woman who was practicing driving at a driving school. Every day, she wrapped herself heavily with sun-protection clothing, a mask, a face shield, and sunglasses. Until she passed the driving test, the driving school coach and other students had never seen her "true face", which was ridiculous.

What are the dangers of excessive sun protection?

Every summer, even when the sun just gets a little hotter, people start an "arms race" for sun protection - sunscreen, sun protection clothing, sun umbrellas and other sun protection products become popular as soon as summer arrives, as if the only word left about the sun is "fear". Whenever there is a chance of exposure to sunlight, people have to wrap themselves up tightly to prevent ultraviolet rays from taking advantage of any opportunity.

However, everything is too much, and the same is true for sun protection. Although strictly guarding against and completely rejecting sunlight may make your skin a little whiter, it will cause certain harm to your body.

Just as plants need sunlight to thrive, humans also need the nourishment of sunlight.

When the ultraviolet rays contained in the sun shine on our skin, the subcutaneous cholesterol will generate 7-dehydrocholesterol. At the same time, the sun's exposure will increase the temperature of the skin surface, thereby converting 7-dehydrocholesterol into vitamin D3, which is the main source of vitamin D in our body. Vitamin D will then enter the liver with the blood and be absorbed by the body after a series of decompositions.

Source: pexels

In addition, vitamin D can help the human body take in and absorb calcium and phosphorus. Therefore, while we supplement calcium daily, we also need to pay attention to the supplement of vitamin D. Sunbathing is the best way to supplement vitamin D!
In addition, when basking in the sun, the infrared rays in the sun can also warm our skin, promote blood circulation and metabolism, which is also very beneficial to the absorption of calcium. So from the perspective of calcium supplementation alone, although basking in the sun is not the most direct and main way to supplement calcium, it is indeed an indispensable way to supplement calcium.

On the other hand, in addition to helping calcium absorption, vitamin D also promotes skin cell growth, differentiation and regulates immune function. The health of our skin is also inseparable from vitamin D.

Can vitamin D replace sun exposure?

Seeing this, some friends may ask, isn't it the same if I take vitamin D directly orally? Why do I have to bask in the sun? The answer to this question is actually very simple. If you choose to supplement vitamin D with medicine, that is, take vitamin tablets and other products, then you must control the dosage. Taking too little is not enough to play a role, and taking too much can easily cause poisoning, loss of appetite, irritability, nausea and other symptoms, leading to hypercalcemia, kidney and liver damage, soft tissue calcification and other diseases, causing a certain degree of damage to the body.

Source: Tencent

If you choose to supplement with food, that is, to take vitamin D in some foods, although there is no need to worry about the dosage, the editor also wants to remind you that vitamin D, as a fat-soluble vitamin, is mainly found in foods with relatively high fat content, such as seafood, animal liver, egg yolk, cream, etc., and these foods are easy to gain weight, which will affect your figure.

Source: Sina.com

In fact, the synthesis of vitamin D in our body is very simple, that is, let the skin be directly exposed to the sun for 20-30 minutes every day. Of course, this does not mean that you should choose the time when the sun is the strongest at noon to sunbathe. Around 9 am or around 4 pm is the most suitable time for sunbathing. At this time, the infrared rays in the sun "dominate" and the ultraviolet rays are relatively weak. Proper sunbathing can warm the body and promote blood circulation and metabolism. If you are afraid of getting a tan, you can leave your arms, legs or back to sunbathe, which can also achieve the effect of synthesizing vitamin D.

Source: hippopx

Our skin is not as fragile as everyone thinks. Unless it is particularly sensitive or severely damaged, it is completely fine for our skin to be exposed to sunlight for less than 30 minutes. During this short period of time, our skin will not undergo photoaging. However, if you are going to be exposed to the sun for more than 30 minutes, the editor still recommends that you take good sun protection and be careful to prevent sunburn.