In this excellent article by Laura Shults there is a great discussion of how responsible sunbathing, combined with proper nutrition, does not harm the skin and reduces the risk of many diseases and disorders. Great job, Laura
A study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology has found that those women who took vitamin A supplements for five years had a 40% reduced risk of melanoma compared to those who did not take the supplements. [1]
Such studies are useful in that they show that melanoma is not necessarily caused by sunlight. It is important to understand that poor nutrition is a factor in almost all cancers, not just melanoma. And here is something else to remember: high intakes of supplemental vitamin A are associated with birth defects, increased risk of lung cancer, liver abnormalities, increased risk of osteoporosis, and central nervous system disorders.[2] No such adverse side effects are associated with natural dietary beta-carotene consumption (beta carotene is a precursor of vitamin A production in the body); in fact beta carotene from carrots and other vegetables has significant protective effects against cancer,[3] but supplemental doses of beta-carotene may actually increase cancer.[4]
The good news about this study is that it defined an antioxidant that helped prevent melanoma; the bad news is that if people read a report on the study and then start supplementing vitamin A in high quantities, the may commit vitamin A suicide. It is best to eschew the supplementation and eat large quantities of green and yellow vegetables and colorful fruits to help prevent melanoma and other cancers. There are no studies that show anything but positive results for that style of nutrition. For more on the link between nutrition and melanoma, see my earlier blog. skin-cancer-and-nutrition
Also, don’t forget that safe and regular sunlight exposure also decreases the risk of melanoma, contrary to popular belief. See my book for more details.
[1] Maryam Asgari, M.D., M.P.H., dermatologist and investigator, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland; Doris Day, M.D., dermatologist, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City; Robert Graham, M.D., internist, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City; March 1, 2012, Journal of Investigative Dermatology, online.
[2] National Institutes of Health, Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin A and carotenoids—Health Professional Fact Sheet. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamina?print=1. Accessed March 1, 2012.
[3] Fontham ETH. Protective dietary factors and lung cancer. Int J Epidemiol 1990;19:S32-S42
[4] Redlich CA, Blaner WS, Van Bennekum AM, Chung JS, Clever SL, Holm CT, Cullen MR. Effect of supplementation with beta-carotene and vitamin A on lung nutrient levels. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 1998;7:211-14.
Although the population in India has the opportunity to bask in plenty of sunlight, those who live and work indoors in the cities are suffering from diseases of D deficiency; especially prevalent are bone and joint diseases, which proves that living in a sunny area means nothing if one never takes advantage of the life-saving gift.
Dr. Tatiana Christides of the University of Greenwich in the UK, has joined the common-sense movement to advocate sun exposure to prevent deterioration of human health. Congratulations to Dr. Christides for understanding the critical importance of sunlight for preventing vitamin D deficiency.
Dr. Tatiana Christides of the University of Greenwich in the UK, has joined the common-sense movement to advocate sun exposure to prevent deterioration of human health. Congratulations to Dr. Christides for understanding the critical importance of sunlight for preventing vitamin D deficiency.
By: Marc Sorenson, Sunlight Institute–
A recent study in the journal Blood, shows a remarkable reduction of the risk of a group of cancers known as lymphoid malignancies, i.e. non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, multiple myeloma and classical Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Researchers in California measured exposure to sunlight among residents in different geographic areas and compared the different categories of exposure to the risk of contracting these cancers.[i] Those residents living in the areas with the highest quartile (fourth) of sunlight exposure, when compared with those in the lowest quartile, showed a 43% reduced risk of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and a 64% reduction of risk of one of its subcategories known as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The risk of another subcategory, chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma, showed a 54% reduced risk. Multiple myeloma was also associated with a reduced risk of 43% among those living in areas with the highest quartile of sunlight exposure. Interestingly, dietary vitamin D was not associated with the risk of these cancers. The researchers stated, “These results support a protective effect of routine residential UVR exposure against lymphomagenesis through mechanisms possibly independent of vitamin D
This last finding is doubly important, since it indicates that sunlight exposure may have protective effects against cancers independent of its stimulation of vitamin D production by skin, or that the type of vitamin D produced by sunlight stimulation of skin is superior to that obtained through food or supplements. It appears that Mother nature know best, and that sunlight, one of God’s greatest gifts to mankind, should not be ignored a as preventive therapy.
[i] Chang ET, Canchola AJ, Cockburn M, Lu Y, Wang SS, Bernstein L, Clarke CA, Horn-Ross PL. Adulthood residential ultraviolet radiation, sun sensitivity, dietary vitamin D, and risk of lymphoid malignancies in the California Teachers Study. Blood 2011;118:1591-9.
Vitamin D and sunlight exposure have both been shown to decrease the risk of MS. Now major research demonstrates that sunlight has beneficial affects on MS beyond its ability to produce vitamin D. Those who suggest taking vitamin D rather than expose themselves to sunlight are doing a disservice.
Stroke is the fourth-leading cause of death and the number-one cause of disability. This research demonstrates that among people who have lower amounts of sunlight exposure, there is a 60% increase in the risk of stroke. The question then arises: Why are the dermatologists still trying to scare us out of the sunlight?
Low vitamin D, which is primarily a result of low sunlight exposure, is closely related to the ability to conceive in both women and men. Couples spend thousands of dollars on fertility clinics when perhaps all they need is some time in the sun.