Dr. Gerry Schwalfenberg, a great vitamin D scientist whom I had the pleasure of meeting at one of my speaking engagements in Canada, has just penned a very nice piece regarding the dilemma that is created for Canadians as they are told to avoid the sunlight, especially as they have a short season where vitamin D can be produced. He also laments the dangers of sunscreen use, as it reduces vitamin D production by 97%.
Everything Dr. Schwalfenberg suggests is important, except his advocacy for sunscreen use after a certain time in the sun. Unless the sunscreen has no noxious chemicals, as most do, it should never be used. Use a long-sleeved shirt and broad-brim hat to protect against overexposure. I would also have been pleased if he had mentioned other essential health-giving products that are increased by sunlight exposure—products such as endorphins, serotonin, and nitric oxide, all of which are essential to human health. Vitamin D is only one essential product that is produced by sunlight exposure.
Dr. Schwalfenberg’s article is a great read, for Canadians and anyone else interested in the benefits of sunlight. Here is the link: http://www.novanewsnow.com/Living/2015-09-21/article-4284582/Insufficient-vitamin-D-levels-among-12-million-Canadians%26nbsp%3B/1