Diet guru Professor Tim Spector comes under fire for ‘reckless’ claim that we don’t need to wear SPF 50 sunscreen all year round – but dermatologists agree with him

One of the country’s top diet gurus has come under fire today after suggesting people don’t need to wear sunscreen all year round.

Professor Tim Spector, citing research in mice claiming vitamin D levels may be important for immunity against cancer, said SPF 50 ‘blocks our natural defences’.

However, one of the study’s own authors branded his comments as a “blatant misrepresentation of our work.” Other doctors labeled the advice as ‘reckless’ and ‘irresponsible’.

Yet dermatologists defended Professor Spector, who doubled down on his claim despite the backlash.

Professor Antony Young of the British Association of Dermatologists told MailOnline: ‘On the one hand, UV in summer sunlight is an important source of vitamin D, essential for healthy bones and muscles.

‘On the other hand, excessive sun exposure is a risk factor for sunburn and skin cancer, the most common cancer in Britain.

‘How you balance this risk depends on your climate, but also on your skin color.

‘People with lighter skin tones are at the greatest risk of sun damage and skin cancer.

‘For people with darker skin tones, sun protection is rarely needed in Britain, and vitamin D deficiency is more common.

‘For this group, sun exposure and supplements may be good sources of vitamin D.’

He added: ‘Generally speaking, April to September is the time in Britain when you need the most protection from the sun.

‘Sun protection is advised for people with a lighter skin color if the UV index is above three.

‘A common concern is that sunscreen prevents us from producing vitamin D. Fortunately, research shows that this is not the case.’

Meanwhile, Dr Tess McPherson, a dermatologist and president of the British Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Dermatology, told Times Radio that there was ‘some confusion’ about Professor Spector’s claims.

She said: ‘Production through the skin is one way of getting vitamin D, but it can also come through supplements.

‘If you lived in another country where UV levels were higher, you would need to protect your skin.

‘It will depend on the pigment of your skin. Some people don’t need to be so careful.

“If it’s the middle of winter and there’s little sun, that’s probably not necessary.”

She added: ‘The key message shouldn’t be that protecting your skin isn’t important. That’s not a message we want people to hear.”

Every year, around 15,000 Britons and 100,000 Americans are diagnosed with melanoma, the most common form of skin cancer. It is the fifth most common cancer in Britain.

The incidence in Britain has risen faster than any other common cancer.

Increased UV exposure from the sun or tanning beds is blamed for this increase.

Despite enormous advances in treatment, with survival rates increasing from less than 50 percent to more than 90 percent over the past decade, more than 2,000 people still die every year.

Melanoma often grows quickly and can quickly burrow through the skin and into the underlying blood vessels.

Once the cancer cells enter the bloodstream, the disease can spread throughout the body.

Responding to the backlash to his comments, Professor Spector told MailOnline today: ‘If you live in Britain you simply don’t need to apply SPF 50 sunscreen every day.

‘Studies have shown that in people with melanoma, lower levels of vitamin D are associated with poorer outcomes and thicker tumors – a measure of the severity of the disease.’

‘Other research showed that melanoma patients who went on a sunny holiday before diagnosis had fewer thick tumors.

He added: ‘Although the vast majority of people in Britain do not need to wear SPF 50 all year round, certain people do need to be more careful if they plan to be out in the sun for long periods of time.

‘These individuals include people with a family history of melanoma, pale skin and freckles, and people with a large number of moles.

“But even for these individuals, wearing SPF 50 365 days a year is likely excessive, likely leaving them vitamin D deficient.”