By Marc Sorenson, EdD, Sunlight Institute
The Daily Mail, a UK online newspaper, today published a superb article called: Bring me sunshine for a long life: Leading dermatologist says regular exposure is good for us. The article quotes Dr. Richard Weller, a fearless dermatologist who speaks the truth, and whom I’ve cited previously in these Sunlight Institute blogs.
Dr. Weller makes several points in the article:
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There are major benefits to exposure to the sun,
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Sunlight exposure can reduce heart attacks.
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Sunlight exposure can also reduce blood pressure and the risk of stroke.
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The wider benefits of sunlight should no longer be ignored.
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Although the benefits of sunlight are often attributed to vitamin D, a gas called nitric oxide is also important because it lowers blood pressure. “High blood pressure is the world’s leading cause of premature death and disease because it leads to stroke and heart disease. Even a small reduction in blood pressure across the whole population will reduce overall rates of stroke and heart attack.”
Dr. Weller also mentions the research from Sweden showing that women who did the most sunbathing for 20 years had half the death rate of women who had avoided the sun. (See my previous blogs on that study.)
I sincerely hope that there will be more “hero” dermatologists stepping forward in the U.S. to tout the many exceptional health benefits of non-burning sun exposure. Kudos to Dr. Weller!
Here is the link to the article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3119175/Dermatologist-Richard-Weller-Edinburgh-University-claims-sunbathing-good-us.html