Relying on sunscreen to protect us from harmful rays isn’t doing our vitamin D levels any favours, say a team of researchers.

Figures suggests 75% of people in the US are deficient in vitamin D, including 95% of African Americans. These figures have climbed dramatically since the early 90s, when fewer than half the country needed to rely on vitamin D supplements for their health.

Most researchers put this figure down to people spending more time inside these days, but a new paper suggests a more controversial theory. The researchers say we are wearing so much sunscreen in our fear of skin cancer that we are actually blocking out the sun’s benefits.