From Science Daily, research is reported on the ability of sunlight exposure to effectively lower blood pressure.[i] The research, reported earlier by Dr. Richard Weller, is not really new, but it is good to see that it is receiving more press. Even more important is the fact that Dr. Weller is a dermatologist. The study was conducted by exposing the skin of 24 healthy volunteers to ultraviolet light from tanning lamps for two sessions of 20 minutes each. In one session, they were exposed to both ultraviolet A (UVA) and the heat from the lamps; in another, the UVA rays were blocked so that only the heat was applied. Blood pressure was lowered by UVA exposure, but not by heat alone.
It has been known for some time that nitric oxide (NO) is produced by the skin in response to sunlight. NO is a potent vasodilator that relaxes the vessels and allows blood pressure to drop. Therefore, the sunlight, or tanning lamps, both of which emit UBA, become useful tools for lowering blood pressure.
It is important to note that these results were achieved with no increase in vitamin D levels. Therefore, sunlight stands on its own in reducing blood pressure. This is not to negate the positive influence of vitamin D; it is a critical factor in reducing the risk of myriad diseases. My ongoing searches of the medical and scientific literature, however, have persuaded me that most studies that assess the influence of sunlight alone are more impressive in preventing disease than those that assess only vitamin D blood levels or supplementation.
Dr. Feelisch, one of the investigators, stated the following: “These results are significant to the ongoing debate about potential health benefits of sunlight and the role of Vitamin D in this process. It may be an opportune time to reassess the risks and benefits of sunlight for human health and to take a fresh look at current public health advice. Avoiding excess sunlight exposure is critical to prevent skin cancer, but not being exposed to it at all, out of fear or as a result of a certain lifestyle, could increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.”
More on this subject will follow. In the meantime, allow yourself safe, non-burning exposure to the sun.
[i] University of Southampton (2014, January 17). Here comes the sun to lower your blood pressure. Science Daily. Retrieved January 18, 2014, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2014/01/140117090139.htm.
In the last post, I made the point that sunlight, through the stimulation of nitric oxide (NO) production in the skin, created a vasodilating effect in healthy volunteers that led to lower blood pressure. It was also noted that the effect of sunlight on blood pressure was not due to vitamin D production and circulation, since there was no change in vitamin D levels during the investigation.
High blood pressure is also known as hypertension, and a recent study from China demonstrates that exposure to sunlight correlates to a lowered risk of that disease.[1] In a randomly selected population of Chinese residents from Macau (where the rate of hypertension is very high), the following risk factors for hypertension were assessed: lack of sunlight exposure, low intake of fish, smoking, obesity and lack of exercise. An average of more than one-half hour of sunlight exposure per day compared to none predicted a 40% reduced risk for hypertension. Oily fish consumption more than four times per week predicted a 60% reduced risk; daily moderate physical activity compared to no physical activity predicted a 20% reduced risk; being obese compared to normal weight predicted 4.6 times the risk of hypertension, and heavy smoking predicted 1.4 times the risk.
Hypertension is a major risk factor for heart and other vascular diseases, which are the number-one killers in western societies. Isn’t it time we made a few lifestyle changes that could profoundly reduce the risk of these diseases? The efforts to Frighten people out of the sunlight, coupled with the move to indoor living, have created unquestionable health disasters. We need to once again learn to enjoy safe, non-burning sun exposure.
[1] Ke L, Ho J, Feng J, Mpofu E, Dibley MJ, Feng X et al. Modifiable risk factors including sunlight exposure and fish consumption are associated with risk of hypertension in a large representative population from Macau. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2013 Nov 1 [Epub ahead of print].
Is sunlight the best disinfectant? Through serendipity, I happened on an article called Natural Alternatives to Bleach for Disinfecting.[1] It discussed pros and cons of such disinfectants as bleach, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide and yes, sunlight. The article stated that bleach could be dangerous, causing irritation to the eyes, mouth, lungs and skin, and when mixed with ammonia could result in the release of toxic fumes.
The authors suggested three alternatives: vinegar, which is non-toxic, hydrogen peroxide, which can cause burns at high concentrations, but when used safely is reasonably safe, and sunlight, which like vinegar is nontoxic. The article states “In fact, scientists have found that exposing a bottle of water to sunlight for 6 hours is an economical way to provide developing countries with safe drinking water (see References 2). The disinfecting properties of sunlight can also be useful around the house. If you have an object that you can move outside, the sun’s rays can help disinfect it. A stained piece of white laundry can be effectively brightened and disinfected by spraying the stain with lemon juice or vinegar and then hanging it in the sun.”
Imagine that—no wonder my mother hung her clothes out on a line in the summer sun to dry, although I don’t recall any use of vinegar or lemon juice.
The mention of water also took me back a few years to the time I spent a week with a Mexican friend of mine in a small town near Guadalajara called Juchipila. As most of you know, the drinking water in Mexico is often contaminated with noxious bacteria, and the sale of bottled water to prevent “Montezuma’s revenge” is big business. While there, my friend Miguel and I visited a bottled-water plant. Interestingly, the only method of purification was the exposure of the water to ultraviolet light. It obviously did a terrific job, because the proprietor did a good business with no reported problems of related bacterial diseases.
There was a time when sunlight was used to disinfect hospitals, and such should be the case now, considering the superbugs that have developed a resistance to antibiotics. The legendary humanitarian Florence Nightingale observed that sunlight helped heal wounded soldiers and insisted that hospitals be constructed to allow the free entry of sunlight.[2]
In reality, it has long been known that sunlight is a powerful disinfectant and bactericide. As early as 1877, researchers discovered that sugar water left in the shade became cloudy, indicative of bacterial growth, but if exposed to sunlight, it remained clear.[3] In 1890, the German microbiologist Robert Koch (who had isolated and described the tuberculosis bacterium in 1882), showed that sunlight killed TB bacteria.[4] Later on, research showed sunlight also killed E. coli bacteria in twelve feet of seawater and in waste stabilization ponds.[5] [6] [7]
In the aforementioned article comparing alternative disinfectants with bleach, the authors mentioned that exposing the armpits to sunlight would kill the bacteria that caused odor. There is little that I enjoy more than sunbathing with my hands behind my head and my armpits exposed to the sun. Lots of vitamin D, nitric oxide and endorphins produced, and later on I am more popular with my friends!
Sunlight exposure has been shown to heal Tuberculosis, psoriasis and a host of other diseases. To protect against a multitude of diseases, infectious and otherwise, be sure that you and your environment are exposed to plenty of sunlight, but also be sure not to burn. Any reddening of the skin indicates that you have had enough.
[1] http://homeguides.sfgate.com/natural-alternatives-bleach-disinfecting-79312.html
[2] Nightingale, F. Notes on Hospitals (third edition) Longman, Roberts and Green 1863.
[3] Downes, A. Researches on the effect of light upon bacteria and other organisms. Proc Roy Soc Med 1877;26:488.
[4] Hobday, R. The Healing sun. Findhorn Press 1999:132.
[5] Hart, D. Sterilization of the air in the operating room by special antibacterial radiant energy. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1936;6:45.
[6] Gameson, A. et al. Field studies on effect of daylight on mortality of coliform bacteria. Water Res 1967;1:279.70.
[7] Calkins, J. et al. The role of solar ultraviolet radiation in natural water purification. Photochem Photobiol 1976;24:49.
The authors noted that the good (and victorious) characters had mean vitamin D levels of only 3.4, whereas the evil (and defeated) characters had mean D levels of only 0.2, or in other words, the vitamin D levels were 17 times higher in the good guys. When assessing lifestyle habits, the authors note that “sun avoidance is a recurring theme among the evil characters.” It is also interesting to note that the greatest and strongest of the “good-guy” warriors is a character called Beorn: he is also a vegetarian. The good guys enjoy sunlight exposure, whereas the evildoers shun it, even going so far as to have a cloud of bats shade them while they do battle.
Unfortunately, the authors give credit to the vitamin D levels only and totally ignore the greater likelihood that vitamin D levels play only a miniscule part. Sunlight exposure stimulates the production of serotonin in the brain,[2] which elevates mood, as do endorphins—also stimulated by sunlight.[3] Neither of these products have anything to do with vitamin D. As long as we are talking fantasy, I opine that it is sunlight per se, and not vitamin D, that makes the underground dwellers evil. Vitamin D is a wonderful hormone produced by exposure of the skin to the UVB portion of sunlight, but the real lifting of the mood is cause by other attributes of the sun.
All of this reminds me of a statement made by a past president of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), Dr. Wilma Bloomberg, who said, “In some vision as I grow older I see us moving to more shelters and perhaps underground living because of these hazards (meaning sunlight).”[4] I have always referred to the AAD as the Powers of Darkness, and this research, along with the Dr. Bloomberg’s statement, prove that the moniker is well-deserved. It is no wonder that dermatologists have the lowest levels of vitamin D of any profession,[5] and with their lack of sunlight caused by living in caves, they could probably play the part of the evil characters in the next edition of The Hobbit. Sunshine and happiness go together. Embrace the sunshine, but don’t burn. Regular, non-burning sunlight exposure will dramatically improve both your physical and mental health.
[1] Joseph A Hopkinson and Nicholas S Hopkinson. The Hobbit — an unexpected deficiency. Med J Aust 2013; 199 (11): 805-806.
[2] Lambert GW, Reid C, Kaye DM, et al. Effect of sunlight and season on serotonin turnover in the brain. The Lancet. 2002;360:1840-1842
[3] Asta Juzeniene and Johan Moan. Beneficial effects of UV radiation other than via vitamin D production. Dermato-Endocrinology 2012;4(2):109–117
[4] Dr. Wilma Bergfeld, then-president of the American Academy of Dermatology at Derm Update, the AAD’s 1996 annual media day, Nov. 13, 1996.
[5] Czarnecki D et al. The vitamin D status of Australian dermatologists. Clinical and Experimental Dermatology 34; 624-25.
Several studies have shown the efficacy of vitamin D in reducing fractures of various kinds. Stress fractures caused by physical training among military recruits is 3.6 times higher in those whose vitamin D levels are low compared to those whose levels are in “normal” ranges.[iii] Women in Spain who are continually seeking the sun have about one-eleventh the risk of hip fractures as those who have little sunlight exposure.[iv] It has also been proved several times by a Japanese physician, Dr. Sato that sunlight exposure can halt brittle bones and profoundly reduce the risk of hip fracture in women who already suffer from osteoporosis.[v]
Sunlight is necessary for stimulating the production of vitamin D in the skin, and vitamin D is absolutely essential for the absorption of calcium in the gut and for the maintenance of calcium stores in the bones to prevent bone diseases. One investigation showed that when serum levels of vitamin D increased from an average of 20 ng/ml to 34.6 ng/ml, calcium absorption increased by 65%, and the risk of hip, wrist, forearm or vertebral fracture was reduced by 33%.[vi] My opinion is that vitamin D levels should be between 60 and 70 ng/ml. Had that level been achieved in the subjects, it is likely that fractures risk would have been decreased more impressively.
We don’t know what Anderson’s serum levels of vitamin are, but he should find out. If they are low, he may be able to heal his injuries much faster by doing a lot of sunbathing.
[ii] Harris SS, Dawson-Hughes B. Seasonal changes in plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations of young American black and white women. Am J Clin Nutr 1998;67:1232-36
[iii] Ruohola JP, Laaksi I, Ylikomi T, Haataja R, Mattila VM, Sahi T, Tuohimaa P, Pihlajamäki H. Association between serum 25(OH0d concentrations and bone stress fractures in Finnish young men. J Bone Miner Res 2006;21:1483-88.
[iv] Larrosa, M. Vitamin D deficiency and related factors in patients with osteoporotic hip fracture. Med Clin (BARC) 2008;130:6-9.
[v]¨Sato, Y. et al. Amelioration of osteoporosis and hypovitaminosis D by sunlight exposure in stroke patients. Neurology2003;61:338-42.
[vi] Heaney RP, Dowell MS, Hale CA, Bendich A. Calcium Absorption Varies within the Reference Range for Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D. J Am Coll Nutr 2003;22:142-46.d
The Indian Menopause Society (IMS), is an organization whose motto is to keep women fit at 40, active at 60 and independent at 80. One of their suggestions is that women stop soaking up sunscreen and start getting outside at peak sunlight time–for at least 15 minutes daily. The idea is to use the most natural manner possible to optimize vitamin D levels and thereby reduce the risk of osteoporosis and other bone diseases.
It is gratifying to see that there are women’s health organizations that understand the life-saving importance of sunlight. India is to be congratulated for cutting past the anti-sun nonsense and leading the world back to enlightenment. This is an excellent article from the Times of India.
The evidence has been mounting for some time that sunlight exposure can halt osteoporosis in its tracks. For example, an investigation from Spain in 2008 concluded that women who actively participated in sun exposure had one-eleventh the chance of a hip fracture as those who stayed indoors.[1] There is no bone drug that can create such dramatic results, and neither has vitamin D supplementation been able to create such results, although vitamin D was doubtlessly a major factor in the results of the Spanish research.
The beauty of sunlight exposure is the fact that it is irrefutably capable of reversing osteoporosis. A study from Japan furnishes the proof: Over twelve months, 129 elderly, hospitalized women were exposed to regular sunlight and another 129 stayed received no sunlight. The results were impressive. In these sedentary women, the sunlight group increased bone mass by an average 3.1%; in the non-sunlight-exposed group, it decreased by 3.3%.[2] More importantly, the women who had the benefit of sunlight had only one bone fracture in their group. The sunlight-deprived group had six fractures! Sunlight reversed osteoporosis. Vitamin D produced by the skin in response to sunlight likely played a large role in the reversal; blood levels increased by nearly 400% during the year. Nevertheless, the women remained vitamin D deficient, reaching levels of about 19 ng/ml. This may mean that something beyond vitamin D production—perhaps another photoproduct produced by the skin in response to sunlight—made a difference. Certainly, no study using vitamin D supplements alone has produced such results.
The aforementioned studies conclusively demonstrate that sunlight is the key to strong, healthy bones; nevertheless, corroborating information continues to emerge. Recently published research from Sweden showed the results of an investigation regarding the correlations among fracture rates, latitude and UV radiation[3] (the light spectrums of sunlight that stimulate the skin to produce vitamin D and other photoproducts such as nitric oxide, endorphins, etc.). The higher the latitude, the lower is the exposure to UV radiation. The investigators showed that there were statistically significant correlations between hip-fracture rates and latitude as well as UV radiation in Sweden. Obviously, this is another instance of sunlight exposure preventing osteoporosis and fracture.
Osteoporosis, like many other degenerative diseases, is an absolutely unnecessary malady. Plenty of sunshine and a healthful nutrition program can prevent and even reverse these illnesses.
[1] Larrosa, M. Vitamin D deficiency and related factors in patients with osteoporotic hip fracture. Med Clin (BARC) 2008;130:6-9.
[2] Sato, Y. Metoki N, Iwamoto J, Satoh K. Amelioration of osteoporosis and hypovitaminosis D by sunlight exposure in stroke patients. Neurology 2003;61:338-42.)
[3] Nilson F, Moniruzzaman S, Andersson R. A comparison of hip fracture incidence rates among elderly in Sweden by latitude and sunlight exposure. Scand J Public Health. 2013 Nov 21. [Epub ahead of print].
A recent research paper from the Netherlands states that a shift from daily exposure to the sun to an intermittent exposure has correlated to an increase in skin cancer, and it suggests that moderate, frequent exposure is the best advice for people living in that country.[1] The researchers also state that frequent exposure is a protective factor against colorectal, cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, as well as multiple sclerosis and metabolic syndrome.
Interestingly, the paper mentions that the circadian rhythm is affected by light. It postulates that too low levels of light in the daytime and too high levels of light in the evening and at night can weaken and disrupt that rhythm, which could be a risk factor for some types of cancer and for metabolic syndrome. Such ideas have been studied previously, and have indicated that disruption of the circadian rhythm due to night-shift work may lead to increased breast-and/or-colorectal cancer risk in women.[2] [3]
Whatever the reason, which could also be related to vitamin D production among those who are regularly exposed to sunlight, the evidence for the health benefits of safe sunlight becomes clearer by the day. I opine that millions of lives could be saved yearly by regular, non-burning sun exposure for the entire population.
[1] van der Rhee HJ, Coomans CP, van de Velde P, Coebergh JW, de Vries E. [Illness, health and sunlight]. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 2013;157(46)
[2] Davis S, Mirick DK. Circadian disruption, shift work and the risk of cancer: a summary of the evidence and studies in Seattle. Cancer Causes Control 2006;17:539-45.
[3] Reparto di Chirurgia Generale A/D, Policlinico Sant’Andrea, Sapienza Università di Roma. [Night work as a possible risk factor for breast cancer in nurses. Correlation between the onset of tumors and alterations in blood melatonin levels]. Prof Inferm. 2007;60:89-93.
The results of the investigation were recently published in the International Journal of Cancer, and demonstrated that regular sunlight exposure was not associated with either overall melanoma risk or risk at different body sites.[1] To the contrary, the highest sunlight exposure predicted a 44% decreased risk of melanoma on the head and neck when compared to the lowest exposure.
In addition, when sunlight exposure to the upper limbs was assessed, the highest exposure was associated with a decreased risk of melanoma of 34%. The authors stated, “Our results suggest that occupational sun exposure does not increase risk of melanoma, even of melanomas situated on the head and neck.”
Stated another way, the authors might have suggested that sunlight exposure protects against the risk of contracting melanoma. In reading this research, I was reminded of a statement by Dr. Frank Garland during his presentation at a vitamin D conference I attended several years ago. He said, “melanoma is a disease of sedentary, indoor office workers.” He was absolutely correct.
Those who have bought the propaganda of the American Academy of Dermatology may consider this information quite surprising, but in reality it is just one more in a long line of scientific investigations pointing out several reasons that melanoma is not caused by sunlight exposure: (1) Most melanomas occur on areas of the body that are seldom exposed to sunlight. (2) As sunscreen use has increased, melanoma has also increased. (3) Outdoor workers have far less risk of melanoma than indoor workers. (4) As the populace has left outdoor work and moved indoors, profoundly reducing sunlight exposure, melanoma has increased exponentially.
For those interested in reading further regarding these statements and also searching the references, they are contained on previous posts on this site. In the meantime, let’s take advantage of some non-burning sun exposure to protect ourselves against melanoma.
I’m grateful to the scientists from Australia who brought forth this information. Truth will ultimately prevail.
[1] Vuong K, McGeechan K, Armstrong BK; AMFS Investigators; GEM Investigators, Cust AE. Occupational sun exposure and risk of melanoma according to anatomical site. Int J Cancer 2013 Nov 13 [Epub ahead of print].
When considering those studies, it becomes obvious that increasing consumption of alcohol leads to increasing risk of melanoma. Millen’s research, by the way, defined many other nutritional factors that lead to either an increased risk of melanoma or a protection against the disease. I discussed those factors in an earlier post on nutrition and melanoma. http://sunlightinstitute.org/skin-cancer-and-nutrition%E2%80%94stop-blaming-sun
The latest research corroborates the findings of the two aforementioned studies. Jessica Kubo and colleagues investigated the effect of alcohol consumption on the risk of melanoma in a 10.2-year study.[3] Several interesting observations emerged: (1) those who consumed 7+ drinks per week had a 64% increased risk of melanoma; (2) higher lifetime alcohol consumption was positively correlated to risk of the disease; (3) higher current alcohol consumption similarly correlated to a higher risk: (4) current alcohol intake also predicted higher risk; (5) a preference for white wine or liquor also predicted increased risk.
So you see, the idea that melanoma is caused by sunlight exposure is again refuted. We know that as sunlight exposure has decreased profoundly in the last 100 years, the risk of melanoma has increased exponentially. When sunlight exposure has decreased and melanoma has concomitantly increased, what more needs to be said? I have previously posted two blogs on this subject and believe that they entirely refute the claim that melanoma is caused by sunlight.http://sunlightinstitute.org/exposing-sunlightmelanoma-fraud-part-1 http://sunlightinstitute.org/exposing-sunlightmelanoma-fraud-part-2
It is time that we started using our heads and look for the real reason for melanoma. Alcohol is just one reason among many, and it is time to look to other deleterious lifestyles as being the real causes of this deadly disease.
[1] Bain C, Green A, Siskind V, Alexander J, Harvey P. Diet and melanoma. An exploratory case-control study. Ann Epidemiol 1993;3:235-8.
[2] Millen AE, Tucker MA, Hartge P, Halpern A, Elder DE, et al. Diet and Melanoma in a Case-Control Study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2004;13(6):1042-51.
[3] Kubo JT, Henderson MT, Desai M, Wactawski-Wende J, Stefanick ML, Tang JY. Alcohol consumption and risk of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer in the Women’s Health Initiative. Cancer Causes Control 2013 Oct 31. [Epub ahead of print]