Research Suggests Sunbathing , Could Impact Your Microbiome.
'Newsweek' reports that research shows that in addition to increasing cancer risks and accelerating aging,
exposure to the sun can also disrupt the skin's microbiome.
Researchers from the University of Manchester found that
a week-long vacation's worth of sun could significantly
impact the skin's delicate balance of microbes.
Skin is colonized by a diverse microbiota
that play essential roles in the maintenance
of skin homeostasis [balance], protecting
skin against invading pathogens and
coordinating the innate and adaptive
arms of the cutaneous immune system, Abigail Langton, Lead author of the study, via 'Newsweek'.
The study, which was published in the journal
'Frontiers in Aging,' looked at the skin microbiomes of
21 volunteers before and after they went to the beach.
'Newsweek' reports that volunteers were split into three
groups: those who were already tan, those who tanned while on vacation and those who avoided the sun. .
The group that tanned while on vacation
were found to have lower levels of "good"
skin bacteria, specifically Proteobacteria. .
[Proteobacteria are] particularly interesting because a disturbed Proteobacteria microbiota has been previously associated with skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema and diabetic foot ulcers, Abigail Langton, Lead author of the study, via 'Newsweek'.
[Proteobacteria are] particularly interesting because a disturbed Proteobacteria microbiota has been previously associated with skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema and diabetic foot ulcers, Abigail Langton, Lead author of the study, via 'Newsweek'.
According to the team, it remains unclear
why Proteobacteria are particularly
sensitive to ultraviolet radiation.
Those individuals that avoided
developing a tan ('sun avoiders')
were the only ones that maintained
a diverse skin microbiota post-holiday, Abigail Langton, Lead author of the study, via 'Newsweek'
