A new book by a School of Medicine professor that reportedly sheds new light on previous warnings against ultraviolet exposure has stirred controversy in the world of dermatology and led to his resignation from the BU dermatology department, he said this week.
MED professor Dr. Michael Holick, whose forthcoming book “The UV Advantage” reportedly touts the benefits of UV exposure, stepped down from his post in February as a result of the debate, he said, though he is still a professor in the school working on physiology, biophysics and biomedicine.
Holick unveiled his book at a meeting of the Indoor Tanning Association, he said.
Dermatology Department Chairwoman Dr. Barbara Gilchrest asked for his resignation because of disagreements with his findings, Holick said.
Gilchrest was not available for comment this week, but Dr. Boni Elewski, president of the American Academy of Dermatology, said in a statement that UV exposure poses medical dangers and that “any group, organization or individual that disseminates information encouraging exposure to UV radiation, whether natural or artificial, is doing a disservice to the public.”
The Boston Globe reported that Gilchrest asked for his resignation partially because of ties he had with the tanning industry.
Holick said he left the department because, “I didn’t see a need to stay if I was not wanted.”
After being with the department for more than a decade and a friend of Gilchrest’s for more than 20 years, during which the two published, worked on and discussed research together, Holick said Gilchrest’s response was not one he expected.
“It was a big surprise she’d take it so seriously, that she’d focus on one issue without looking at the bigger picture,” Holick said.
But Holick said that for too long the dermatology community has promoted staying out of the sun when sunlight can help Vitamin D deficiency, a generally ignored problem in the United States. A lack of Vitamin D can contribute to osteoporosis, Type 1 diabetes, cancers, arthritis and multiple sclerosis, he said.
In “The UV Advantage,” Holick discusses how people can properly obtain Vitamin D from sunlight to lessen deficiency, treat Seasonal Affect Disorder and make them feel healthier, he said.
“Tables at the end of the book show anywhere on the globe, anytime of the year, where you can stay outside and get safe sun,” he said. “This includes all skin types.”
Dermatology research associate professor Alan Geller said he has not fully read the book yet but understands that there is “tension between people who are proponents of Vitamin D and those who are proponents of sun protection for the public.”
Geller said he agrees that people need Vitamin D, though he said he believes they can obtain it in “three simple ways” while still protecting themselves from the harm of UV radiation.
“They can get it in a supplement as part of a multi-vitamin, in milk products and from minimal exposure to the sun during fairly peak times,” Geller said.
Holick said his book encourages approximately five to 10 minutes of exposure a day. Sunlight is necessary because milk products and multi-vitamins are not enough to do the job, he said.
But Geller said while he agrees that there is a way for most individuals to safely store Vitamin D by exposing themselves to the sun without sunscreen for about 10 minutes during the day, he worries that some may mistakenly interpret Holick’s message.
“It’s an inappropriate message because people can protect themselves from the sun and get sufficient Vitamin D at the same time,” he said. “The incidence and death rates of melanoma are increasing faster than for any other cancer, and sun protection is the best way to prevent disease from developing.”
But Holick defended his position, saying, “I’m not telling people to go bake out in the sun and get burned,” he said. “I’m saying five to 10 minutes a couple times a week.”
As one of the keynote speakers at the Indoor Tanning Association conference, he discussed “the good, the bad and the ugly” of UV exposure while explaining melanoma and promoting responsible tanning, he said.
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