Why are English people so white?

Question

Im from Spain and recently went to the UK for the first time, I've been to America before but they was more tanned looking but in England everyone is extremely white by the way im not saying its a bad thing the girls there was very pretty with pale skin and blue eyes but some of them looked so white that they looked ill? Is it because of the climate or something or the weather? Can someone please explain..

Brontosaurus · Accepted Answer

Skin tone is primarily a remnant of selective pressures on humans that resulted from the need to regulate vitamin D, which is synthesized by the body using ultraviolet radiation from sunlight, and folate (a type of vitamin B) which is destroyed by the same UV radiation.

Melanin, which is the primary factor in determining skin tone, effectively regulates the amount of UV absorbed by the body. In areas that receive a lot of UV radiation, such as the equatorial regions, humans evolved to have skin that produced more melanin to prevent folate destruction, whereas at higher latitudes like Northern Europe , folate destruction was less significant and less melanin allowed for more vitamin D synthesis.

Lack of vitamin D results in rickets, which could be devastating to survival in prehistoric times. Folate deficiency results in things like stunted growth, poor endurance, and anemia.

Our skin has some ability to adapt to higher UV levels by producing more melanin (tanning), but white people on average are genetically disposed to produce less melanin than darker-skinned races. Because, as has been pointed out, England is often dreary, there's little opportunity to develop a natural tan there.

Anyway, those biological issues, together with the social considerations (migrations, wars, etc.) are why people in England and other northern countries are very white.

Or, according to the Bible, God did it.

WhiteSteve · Accepted Answer

Yeah, I was reading something the other day about the genetics behind blue eyes, and I was surprised to learn that it was hovering around 50% for both English and Scottish people. I'm essentially half-and-half in my heritage, so that explains my blue eyes. But more than how common they were there, I was more surprised that blue eye occurance just fell off the map when you got to other parts of Europe . It was like 50% for Brits and Scots, then a little more like 40% for the Irish, then France was like 30%, and then it just dropped off a cliff, like down to 5-15% for the rest of the listed countries. It should be noted that Scandinavia was left out of the list, I feel like there is some blue-eyed genetics going on up there.

Scientifically, it's probably based on climate. Less harsh sunlight and heat, and rainy and foggy weather probably led to lighter eyes and skin. Whereas at the other extreme, if you went to Africa, particularly near the Equator, I think people tend to have the darkest skin and eyes. Even in Asia, someone Japanese would likely be fair skinned, versus a Cambodian or other Southeast Asian, who have a more tan skin tone, presumably from the warmer climate. The Western Hemisphere is probably tougher to break down due to imperialism and being colonized by people from other places.

I'm not a professional scientician, but that's my best guess :-P

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Because their country have lack of sun and they have white skin to absorb more vitamin D

Vitamin D insufficiency affects almost 50% of the population worldwide. An estimated 1 billion people worldwide, across all ethnicities and age groups, have a vitamin D deficiency. This pandemic of hypovitaminosis D can mainly be attributed to lifestyle and environmental factors that reduce exposure to sunlight, which is required for ultraviolet-B (UVB)-induced vitamin D production in the skin. Black people absorb more UVB in the melanin of their skin than do white people and, therefore, require more sun exposure to produce the same amount of vitamin D.

The high prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency is a particularly important public health issue because hypovitaminosis D is an independent risk factor for total mortality in the general population.

Emerging research supports the possible role of vitamin D against cancer, heart disease, fractures and falls, autoimmune diseases, influenza, type-2 diabetes, and depression. Many health care providers have increased their recommendations for vitamin D supplementation to at least 1000

Vitamin D is unique because it can be made in the skin from exposure to sunlight.

spuitkaas · Accepted Answer

In the Netherlands we have almost the same climate and the same skin type. It has to do with evolution. To make vitamin D we need sunlight, but we don't have a lot of sunlight so our skin is adapted to that. Less melanin means more exposure to sunlight and so more vitamin D. A tan would only prevent us from making it. This is why if we go to a sunny country, we sunburn easier, because we exposed ourselves too much to the sun.
Why do the people sunnier countries have a more tanned skin? It's because they need to protect themselves more for the sun so they don't get sunburned very quickly.

Mustachekitteh · Accepted Answer

It's probably because of their weather. Since it's normally raining more than it is sunny. Plus paler people tend to be more further north. Probably also because it's colder most of the time so they might not spend to much time outside.

Then there is also genetics. I'm extremely pale that when the sun hits me I glow, lol. I've tried to tan and failed. I mean I got a little darker but it honestly didn't make much of a difference, lol. I am an American but I do know that I had family members 5 generations ago who used to live in Scotland. That could explain why I'm so pale.

Hidden_P · Accepted Answer

Umm.. if you came to the UK recently you probably saw why... we're not exactly blessed with a warm climate and lots of sun.
Spain is a lot closer to the equator than the UK. I mean - you have siestas. UK doesn't exactly need that do they... burn our feet from all the rain?

BertMacklinFBI · Answer

d00d isn't it obvious that their exposure to the climate in the UK affects their skin tone. its normal to be cloudy over there instead of cloudless skies and sunshine pouring down on them, hence the pale skin.

TheSpartan · Answer

The English primarily descend from the from the forest-dwelling Celtic Brittons, Gauls, later the Saxons and Anglos from Germania, and the northern-French Normans. These people, like I said above, lived primarily in heavily-wooded areas. Thus, the skin colors of these peoples became whiter as a result to receive more sunlight, as opposed the the mostly plain and grass-land peoples of the Greek, Italian , and Iberian peninsulas, where the sunlight was harsher and more melanin was needed in the skin. This phenomena is even more apparent the Irish, whom descended from an even whiter clan of Celtic Brittons.

Hope that helps.

KHaskins · Answer

Latitude and altitude. Dark skin is an evolved adaptation to being more exposed to UV radiation. Lighter-skinned people, as I understand it, are more cold tolerant. As you move north to south, it isn't a stark transition from light skin to dark, but more of a gradient. Of course, people move around a lot more these days, so physical traits aren't quite as good an indicator of where someone is from anymore.

sammy_31 · Answer

Like their DNA says nah you don't need melanin y'all don't need a natural tan. In all serious their ancestors are northern European where sun exposure lacked and currently lacks in the UK unlike here in the US. Its kinda obvious why they are so pale. Less sun = paler skin.

StevePinoy · Answer

Hey, this has to be a wind-up, yes? My daughter-in-law is full Spanish, she has mousey hair, blue eyes and very white skin. The image of the Spanish as a "Brown Eyed Girl" is too general. There are very many white Girls in Spain, they just stay out of the Sun.

madhatters4 · Answer

their skin has less melanin due to years exposed less sun. the same question can be asked as to why African or south American people have darker skin. Through evolution the body has produced less or more melanin to protect the body from the amount of sun exposure.

the less sun exposure a person has the less melanin you need to protect your skin.

muspelhem_5 · Answer

This is a bit off topic, but it's the only explanation I can think of apart from the white bread in  English  lunchboxes:

Anonymous · Answer

Skin pigment is a function of water intake. You ever see canaries that are given colored water? It makes their feathers a different color. Same is true for humans. Scandanavians are super white because of the ultra pure spring and glacier water they drink. Similarly, British people are white.

TheBlondeGurlx · Answer

Im from England and i think its to do with genes and climate, we barely get any sun either our "summer" is just laughable.

kheserthorpe · Answer

It's not -just- climate, it's natural. Their ancestors are from northern  Europe  and sunburns weren't a big problem up there till we burned a hole through the ozone layer.

Sara413 · Answer

It's both genetics and climate.. England (esp London area) tends to be very overcast... so, yeah, they don't get nearly as much sun as you do. But also, the  English  are just really white by nature. Just like the Nordics and the Germanics.

Anonymiss1234 · Answer

It's not just because of weather conditions and Vitamin D from the sun. Most people from the UK have an unhealthy pallor in general as well as deep dark circles and bags under their eyes and seem to prematurely age, which is likely diet related in conjunction with weather.

Swarthiestviking2000 · Answer

Yes, it is true that the English as well the other people of British Islands are the palest - complected people in the world. Many of them cannot even tan, but burn and turn “brick red”. Other Europeans nearby the Dutch, Scandinavians, Balts are also fair - skinned but still tan more than the English. All this has to do with adaptation to a cloudy or gloomy climate.
Americans are very, very diverse. So obviously as a group, they cannot be as pale as the English. However some are.

G-Daz · Answer

blue eyes are really not that common in England, some have it but it's hardly a norm and there are varieties in skin tone. Some are whiter because of less exposure to the sun, it'd be the same in spain if the weather was the same.

chocolatedragon · Answer

A) White people in general produce little melanin. B) People only tan/get darker with a certain amount of exposure to UV rays, Brits don't get enough sunlight to be significantly affected.

Anonymous · Answer

White is the normal color. No reason to be black unless you need to protect yourself from a lot of sun rays like the people living near the equator. The closer you live to the equator the darker the skin becomes. Makes sense to me. I don't know about you?

Anonymous · Answer

What about all of the dark skinned  English  people? "English' is not a racial or color designation... Race is a social construct. If my parents are from Pakistan, and I'm born and raised in England, what does that make me? What does an American look like?

evenlift · Answer

Why would they be tanned? There is rarely any sunlight.

rthomas43 · Answer

Doesn't all of England have a climate similar to Seattle's?

aamy811 · Answer

I have an  English  friend and she says it's cloudy over there most of the time

Coolguy1928 · Answer

They're white because of genes. And it also has something to do with the climate there.

SaltandVinegar · Answer

The climate and evolution. There is not a lot of sun in northern  Europe  and Britain is particularly cloudy so it was beneficial to be very pale to get enough vitamin D.

JCT666 · Answer

Well, because we have less exposure of sun here than the USA. I'm a good example of a pale skinned British, haha.

1fingerpunch · Answer

i even see some Asian people who look white (just skin) as hell just because the weather is damn cloudy all the time.

Skadouchebag · Answer

Just look at a map. England is further north than the contiguous US.

Strider90 · Answer

Be patient and in about 50+ years you will only see black people there.

Anonymous · Answer

English  girls must be hot as hell... i love pale girls

PiuBelloAmante · Answer

cloudy, very cloudy and genetics

mutedaisy · Answer

Lack of bright sunny days for generations.

thewanderingme · Answer

the extreme lack of sun the get perhaps?

xMoonlessNight · Answer

I heard that Americans use tan products.

Anonymous · Answer

THERE'S NO FUCKING SUN IN ENGLAND!

COCOCHANEL · Answer

dna and climate

StickStickity13 · Answer

Russians are even more pale)

vekin · Answer

I am wondering too why this is... lol

Anonymous · Answer

Their country is so cold and they evolve :)

Why are English people so white?

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