Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Medical Mysteries Revealed

Do sunglasses cause sunburn? Or can sun lotion hurt our bones?

Wearing sunglasses increases the risk of getting sunburned. The reason for this is that our pituitary gland only knows how much melanin (pigment that protects our skin from ultraviolet light) to produce from the signals that it receives from the eyes.

If our eyes indicate that it is sunny outside, the gland produces a lot of pigment. However, sunglasses trick the gland into thinking it’s less sunny, meaning less melanin and a higher risk of burning.

Similarly, sun lotion can hurt our bones. Vitamin D is vital for healthy bones. If we don't have enough, then adults can develop osteoporosis and children rickets.

But unlike most vitamins, we don't need to eat vitamin D. Our bodies can make it by themselves when exposed to the right kind of sunlight.

Ultraviolet B (UVB) rays are strongest when the sun is directly overhead and helps the body to convert cholesterol into vitamin D. But suntan lotion blocks UVB and our body is not able to create vitamin D.

Read more about all such medical mysteries.












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