AUGUST 10, 2009 — Authors of a new British study are blaming overzealous sun avoidance campaigns for widespread vitamin D deficiency, the London Telegraph reported on Sunday.

“The advice on sun exposure needs to be reviewed,” Dr. Veronica Bataille, the study’s lead author, told The Telegraph. “It is potentially harmful if people are getting the message that they should completely avoid the sun. The advice needs to be better tailored to the differences in skin type and sun levels around the country.”

The study measured vitamin D blood levels in more than 1,400 British women and found that those who had the fairest skin actually had the lowest vitamin D levels — which would be unlikely if they weren’t wearing too much sun protection. The more melanin one has in their skin the less vitamin D they make with the same amount of sunlight.

“There has been so much effort put into telling people about the damaging effects of ultraviolet light from sunshine, many now take extreme measures to ensure they don’t get exposure by wearing moisturizers with factor 15 all year round,” the Telegraph reported.

Smart Tan advocates usage of sunscreen only on occasions when sunburn is a possibility, but blames over-use of sunscreen for the spread of vitamin D deficiency. SPF 15 products block 99 percent of vitamin D production, according to lab reports.

To read the London Telegraph story click here.