Vitamin D, sometimes referred to as the "sunshine vitamin," is an essential nutrient. It helps facilitate the body's absorption of calcium, enhances bone growth and repair, and is a crucial participant in the immune system. But as awareness about protection from the sun continues to increase, the following arises: does sunscreen, applied to protect us from hazardous ultraviolet (UV) radiation, interfere with our production of vitamin D?

The human body produces vitamin D through a fascinating biochemical process. When the skin absorbs ultraviolet B (UVB) rays from the sun, a protein in the skin called 7-dehydrocholesterol converts these rays into vitamin D3, the active form of the nutrient. Vitamin D3 then plays other important roles in the body by supporting nerve signaling, immune defense, and strong bones.

Even a short sun exposure session will produce all the vitamin D your body needs for the day. For example:

- A light-skinned person can get all the vitamin D needed by spending 15 minutes in the sun.

- A darker-skinned person may need several hours since melanin also protects against UV rays naturally.

On the other hand, too much time in the sun without sunscreen increases your risk of developing sunburn, premature aging, and skin cancer.

What Does Sunscreen Do?

Sunscreen forms the most vital tool in protecting the body against skin cancers, particularly for those providing protection from bad UVs. These mostly work as sun-blocking and absorbing devices for radiation against UV damage. Now does this defense interfere with the production of vitamin D?

In short-not necessarily.

Research has shown that while sunscreen does reduce the penetration of UVB rays, it does not block them entirely. For example, a sunscreen with SPF 30 filters about 97% of UVB rays. Even high SPF sunscreen allows a very small amount of UVB rays to reach your skin, which is usually sufficient to stimulate vitamin D production.

Other than this, research findings also fail to establish a correlation between sunblock application and the depletion of vitamin D. This is for several reasons. Most people apply sunblock incompletely and do not reapply as often as is suggested.

Factors Affecting Vitamin D Absorption

Vitamin D levels in the body are influenced by several factors other than sunblock application. These factors include:

1. Skin Color

Melanin limits the production of vitamin D in the skin. In fact, naturally, the dark-skinned person will synthesize less vitamin D than their fair-skinned counterpart.

2. Age

Elderly people produce much less vitamin D from an equal amount of sun exposure.

3. Geography

Those living farther from the equator, especially the people in northern states, tend to get insufficient sun-derived vitamin D, mainly in winter.

4. Clothes and Lifestyle

Clothing that covers most of the skin or staying indoors reduces exposure to UVB rays.

Environmental factors such as air pollution and overcast skies can also reduce the amount of UVB rays that reach your skin.

Balancing Sun Protection and Vitamin D Intake

It is important to balance sun protection with maintaining healthy vitamin D levels. Here are some practical tips:

Short, frequent exposure: Spend a short period of time of about 10-15 minutes outside without sunscreen on your arms and legs. This is typically enough to fulfill the day's vitamin D needs.

Optimize timing: Sun exposure is most potent when the sun is highest in the sky, that is, between 10 AM and 3 PM.

Supplementation: If you’re at risk of vitamin D deficiency (due to age, darker skin tone, or other factors), consider vitamin D-rich foods or supplements. Fatty fish, fortified dairy products, and egg yolks are excellent dietary sources.

Smart Sunscreen Use: Apply sunscreen generously but remember that incidental UV exposure—such as during short walks or while driving—can still contribute to vitamin D synthesis.

Why Vitamin D Matters

Vitamin D plays a very crucial role in preventing various health conditions. The deficiency can cause diseases such as:

• Rickets: It is a condition that causes soft and weak bones in children.
• Osteomalacia: Softening of bones in adults.
• Osteoporosis: Bones are weak, porous, and are easily breakable.

Low levels of vitamin D also have been associated with weakened immunity, muscle weakness, and even mood disorders such as depression.

The use of sunscreen does not completely cut off your body's ability to produce vitamin D. While it's important to protect your skin from destructive UV radiation, moderate exposure to the sun can deliver enough vitamin D without significantly elevating the risk of damage to your skin.

For those with lifestyles, geographies, or conditions that prevent them from adequately exposing themselves to the sun, dietary sources and supplementation are alternatives. By harmonizing safe sun practices while maintaining vitamin D levels, you can enjoy the healthy skin and healthy body together.

In the end, balancing moderate sun exposure with suitable sunscreen use and a diet in vitamin D can ensure that you attain the benefits of this highly important nutrient while protecting the skin.

The effect of sunscreen on vitamin D. Br J Dermatol. 2019.

Vitamin D Fact Sheet for Consumers. NIH.

Suicides are one of the leading causes of death around the world. While it is easy to say that the person who chose to take their lives did it of their own violation, Harvard psychologist Dr. Matthew Nock, explains the other side. “90% of people who try and kill themselves say, I didn't want to die per se. I wanted to escape from seemingly intolerable.” Speaking on the On Purpose podcast with Jay Shetty, Dr. Nock pointed out that the link between work pressure and suicidal thoughts varies by race and ethnicity.

The concerning rise in suicide cases tied to work pressure has fueled a social media conversation about toxic work culture. What was once considered a normal part of the professional grind is now being openly challenged, as people share personal stories of the anxiety, depression, and isolation caused by unhealthy work environments.

What Professions Are At High Risk Of Suicide?

According to Dr. Matthew Nock, certain careers are linked to a higher risk of suicide.

Police Officers

He noted that physicians and police officers are among those at high risk. He mentioned a spike in suicides among New York City police officers, who are predominantly white men, and shared that female police officers, in particular, face a higher risk, even when accounting for factors like age, race, and ethnicity.

According to a 2025 study published in the Police Practice and Research, on average, 21.4 out of every 100,000 officers died by suicide each year.

The study showed that the suicide rate was much higher for male officers (22.7 per 100,000) than for female officers (12.7 per 100,000).

Physicians

Dr. Nock explained that access to means is a significant factor in these high-risk professions, which helps explain why physicians, police officers, and military members have a much higher risk of suicide compared to others.

Another study published in 2024 The BMJ, showed that the number of suicides among doctors has been going down, female doctors are still at a much higher risk than other people.

When looking at all the data, male doctors were found to have a 5% higher risk of suicide compared to the general population.

In a more recent analysis of the last few years, the overall suicide rate for doctors has decreased, which is good news. But even with this improvement, female doctors still have a 24% higher risk than the general public.

Why We Need To Talk More About Suicide

Dr. Nock stresses the importance of openly discussing suicide, particularly in schools. He compared it to fire drills or earthquake preparedness, saying that since 15% of people will experience suicidal thoughts, it's crucial to equip everyone with a safety plan..Dr. Matthew Nock said, "We know that asking about suicide, talking about suicide, does not make people suicidal."

He noted that the people who act on suicidal thoughts often show different signs than those who just have the thoughts. While depression is a strong predictor of having suicidal thoughts, other factors like anxiety, aggressiveness, poor behavioral control, and drug or alcohol use are more closely linked to a person actually attempting suicide.

He believes that a small educational module on suicide in health class could help save lives by teaching people what to do if they or someone they know is struggling.

While we all know air pollution affects our health, did you know that it was actually driving cancer cases higher? This has led to a big rise in health problems worldwide. Past studies show that air pollution is linked to about seven million premature deaths each year and contributes to over 3% of all years of healthy life lost globally. This revelation was a big concern for public health, and to fix it, many measures were taken.

While some countries like the US showed promising results in bettering public health, a recent study in the International Journal of Public Health showed that this positive trend is not yet showed up in China.

How Is PM2 Pollution Affecting Our Health?

One of the most dangerous types of air pollution is called fine particulate matter, or PM2.5. These tiny particles come from car exhaust, factory smoke, and even from the smoke created by burning solid fuels inside homes. Because they are so incredibly small, they can stay suspended in the air for a long time and, when we breathe them in, they go deep into our lungs.

Once inside the body, PM2.5 can cause inflammation and even change our genes, which increases our risk for many illnesses, especially tracheal, bronchial, and lung (TBL) cancers. A new study looked at how much PM2.5 pollution has affected TBL cancer rates in China, Japan, South Korea, and the United States from 1990 to 2021.

Has Pollution-Related Health Risk Decreased Everywhere?

The study, which used data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) project, found some important trends:

Overall Cancer Rates Are Declining

The good news is that globally, the number of deaths and years of healthy life lost due to TBL cancer linked to PM2.5 pollution are going down. This positive trend was consistent in all the countries studied: China, Japan, South Korea, and the U.S.

China's Unique Challenge

Despite this global trend, China faced a much higher death rate from TBL cancer linked to PM2.5 compared to the other three countries. While their rates are decreasing, they still remain significantly higher than the worldwide average.

Household Pollution Hits Women Harder

The research also looked at pollution from burning solid fuels inside homes. The global death rate from TBL cancer linked to this type of pollution has remained stable, but it's actually increasing for women while it's decreasing for men. This highlights a specific danger for women in homes that rely on these fuels.

Will This Pollution Cancer Trend Keep Rising?

Looking ahead, researchers predict that the global death rate for TBL cancer caused by PM2.5 will actually increase over the next 29 years. However, the study notes that countries like China, South Korea, and the U.S. are expected to see a significant drop in their rates, while Japan's numbers are expected to stay about the same.

Overall, this study shows that while air pollution is a serious global health risk, the efforts to reduce PM2.5 exposure in many countries are making a real, positive difference.

Maintaining our gut health is not as easy as it seems. Even things like how you do your bowel movements could reveal how healthy your gut actually is. According to Dr. Saurabh Sethi, a board-certified gastroenterologist, many of us are making common mistakes on the toilet that can lead to real health problems. Here are three crucial habits to change to improve your gut health. Here are three mistakes' people make will they are in the washroom.

3 Bathroom Mistakes You Are Making

Stop Straining

Pushing or straining when you poop can cause serious issues like hemorrhoids, which are swollen veins in your rectum and anus, and anal fissures, which are small tears in the lining of your anus. In more severe cases, it can even lead to rectal prolapse, where part of the rectum slides out of the anus. Instead of forcing it, focus on taking deep breaths. This helps your abdominal muscles relax and allows your body to do its job naturally, reducing the risk of painful complications.

Put Down Your Phone

Scrolling on your phone while on the toilet can be a bad habit. Spending extra time on the toilet, even if you’re not straining, puts pressure on the delicate veins in your rectum. This can cause them to swell, significantly increasing your risk of hemorrhoids. To protect yourself, it’s best to keep your bathroom breaks short—ideally, under five minutes.

Don't Ignore the Urge

When you feel the need to poop, it's important not to hold it in, which makes it much more difficult to pass later, leading to and worsening constipation. When you feel the need to go, listen to your body. Holding it in causes your stool to get harder and drier, which makes constipation much worse and more painful later on. Train your gut to go when it says it's time.

Simple Ways To Improve Your Bowel Movements

Go at the Same Time Each Day

Try to create a routine. If you're often straining without success, try sitting on the toilet about 30-60 minutes after a meal, when your colon is naturally more active. A little stretching or a short walk beforehand can also help things get moving.

Use a Stool for Your Feet

The natural position for a bowel movement is squatting. You can mimic this position on a regular toilet by placing a small stool under your feet to raise your knees above your hips. This simple change helps your muscles relax and can make bowel movements easier and more complete.

Focus on Fiber and Fluids

Fiber is essential for creating soft stool that's easy to pass. Most adults should aim for 25 to 35 grams a day. Just remember to add it to your diet slowly. As you increase your fiber, be sure to drink more water and other non-caffeinated fluids, since caffeine can dehydrate you and make stool harder.

When to Seek Help

While these tips are a great starting point, sometimes you need more personalized help. You should talk to your doctor if you notice any of these signs:

• A recent, unexplained change in your bowel habits
• Blood in your stool
• Unexplained stomach pain
• A pelvic health physical therapist can also provide a full evaluation and create a personalized plan to improve your bowel health.