Have fun in the Sun: The Healing Properties of Sunshine
We have all heard of the dangers behind sun tanning and the importance of wearing sunscreen, but how true are they?
Does sun exposure cause skin cancer? The answer is no! Sun exposure by itself does not cause skin cancer. Sunlight when combined with good nutritional status actually prevents cancer. Good nutritional status is obtained in part through antioxidants
(Common antioxidants include: A, E, C, and Selenium). Having adequate levels of antioxidants may also reduce the likelihood of sun burning with sun exposure. Sunlight provides Vitamin D, which is essential for optimal health. Adequate Vitamin D levels have resulted in a 78% reduction in four out of five major cancers including: brain, breast, bone, prostate, and liver.
Skin cancer is a definite concern but should we be avoiding the sun? New research sheds light on the fact that avoiding the sun at mid-day increases the risk of cancer. The optimal time to be in the sun for vitamin D production is as close to the solar noon as possible, specifically between 10:00am and 2:00 pm. For Caucasian people, 20 minutes per day of sunlight is needed and 6-10 times this amount is needed for darker complexions. A large area of the body needs to be exposed; just exposing the hands and face is insufficient. When the sun goes down towards the horizon, the UVB (290 to 315 nanometers), AKA "Vitamin D Producer" is filtered out much more than the UVA (320 to 400 nanometers). UVA is highly correlated with melanoma. Cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) is the most serious form of skin cancer, accounting for about three-quarters of all skin cancer deaths.With the newest research findings, it no longer seems appropriate to avoid mid-day sun and to excessively wear sunscreen. Both UVA and UVB can cause tanning and burning but UVA penetrates your skin more deeply than UVB, and is thought to be the major culprit of photo aging, wrinkling and skin cancer development.
Getting about 2,000 IU to 4,000 IU a day of vitamin D can help you to reduce your cancer risk by up to 50 percent! However, most people only get 250-300 IU a day from their diet, so sunshine is essential. In the winter months, a vitamin D3 supplement (cholecalciferol) can be used. Cholecalciferol is found naturally in foods like eggs, organ meats, animal fat and fish. For more information, please contact Dr. Tiffany Mitchell of Sunshine Health Care Center @ (623) 266-1722. Web site: www.sunshinehealth.net
By: Tiffany Mitchell, NMD
References:
Antioxidants 101
Written by Gloria Tsang, RD of HealthCastle.com
Published in Dec 2005; Updated in Sep 2009
Lita Lee's To Your Health Blog
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Vitamin D3: Best Time For Sun Exposure
From September 4, 2008 - Issue 1156 www.Mercola.com
The truth about sunlight, sunburn and vitamin D
http://www.naturalnews.com/Index.html
Does sun exposure cause skin cancer? The answer is no! Sun exposure by itself does not cause skin cancer. Sunlight when combined with good nutritional status actually prevents cancer. Good nutritional status is obtained in part through antioxidants
(Common antioxidants include: A, E, C, and Selenium). Having adequate levels of antioxidants may also reduce the likelihood of sun burning with sun exposure. Sunlight provides Vitamin D, which is essential for optimal health. Adequate Vitamin D levels have resulted in a 78% reduction in four out of five major cancers including: brain, breast, bone, prostate, and liver.
Skin cancer is a definite concern but should we be avoiding the sun? New research sheds light on the fact that avoiding the sun at mid-day increases the risk of cancer. The optimal time to be in the sun for vitamin D production is as close to the solar noon as possible, specifically between 10:00am and 2:00 pm. For Caucasian people, 20 minutes per day of sunlight is needed and 6-10 times this amount is needed for darker complexions. A large area of the body needs to be exposed; just exposing the hands and face is insufficient. When the sun goes down towards the horizon, the UVB (290 to 315 nanometers), AKA "Vitamin D Producer" is filtered out much more than the UVA (320 to 400 nanometers). UVA is highly correlated with melanoma. Cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) is the most serious form of skin cancer, accounting for about three-quarters of all skin cancer deaths.With the newest research findings, it no longer seems appropriate to avoid mid-day sun and to excessively wear sunscreen. Both UVA and UVB can cause tanning and burning but UVA penetrates your skin more deeply than UVB, and is thought to be the major culprit of photo aging, wrinkling and skin cancer development.
Getting about 2,000 IU to 4,000 IU a day of vitamin D can help you to reduce your cancer risk by up to 50 percent! However, most people only get 250-300 IU a day from their diet, so sunshine is essential. In the winter months, a vitamin D3 supplement (cholecalciferol) can be used. Cholecalciferol is found naturally in foods like eggs, organ meats, animal fat and fish. For more information, please contact Dr. Tiffany Mitchell of Sunshine Health Care Center @ (623) 266-1722. Web site: www.sunshinehealth.net
By: Tiffany Mitchell, NMD
References:
Antioxidants 101
Written by Gloria Tsang, RD of HealthCastle.com
Published in Dec 2005; Updated in Sep 2009
Lita Lee's To Your Health Blog
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Vitamin D3: Best Time For Sun Exposure
From September 4, 2008 - Issue 1156 www.Mercola.com
The truth about sunlight, sunburn and vitamin D
http://www.naturalnews.com/Index.html