Research Suggests Sunbathing , Could Impact Your Microbiome.
'Newsweek' reports that new 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 recent 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.
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The group that tanned while on vacation was found to have lower levels of "good" skin bacteria, specifically Proteobacteria.
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[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'
