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
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?
Sunlight therapy, according to recent research and this article posted by Dr. Mercola, is much more effective and much less dangerous than vaccines in reducing both the risk and spread of chickenpox, and may also reduce the risk of shingles later in life.
Low vitamin D levels in children correlate to a higher risk of depression . Of course, we have known for some time that sunlight exposure lifts the mood almost immediately. The time has come to let our children get their vitamin D the natural way, by safe, outdoor play in the sunlight.
By: Marc Sorenson, EdD, Sunlight Institute–
In the rush by dermatologists and sunscreen companies to demonize sunlight exposure as the universal cause of skin cancers, there has been a total disregard for another factor that strongly protects against or strongly promotes skin damage. That factor is what we eat. Nutrition, according to whether it is healthful or noxious, can have either profoundly positive or negative influences on the skin.
As an example, polyphenols are antioxidant phytochemicals that prevent free-radical damage and thus protect the skin. Polyphenols are prevalent in foods such as nuts, seeds, onions, green tea, pomegranates, apples, berries, cherries and other fruits, grape seeds, as well as vegetables and dried legumes. They also exist in such nutrients as resveratrol and silymarin (milk thistle extract). These nutritional superstars are able to reduce inflammation, quench oxidative stress and thereby prevent free-radical damage to DNA, inhibit immunosuppression, and diminish dysregulation of cellular signaling pathways, thereby reducing the potential for skin cancers.[i],[ii]
Particularly interesting is the fact that green tea extract and other polyphenol-containing products such as grape-seed proanthocyanadins, have been shown to inhibit the formation of skin tumors. Two researchers, writing in the Archives of Dermatological Research, made the following conclusion after a thorough review of literature regarding polyphenols and skin cancer: “Based on the epidemiological evidence and laboratory studies conducted using in vitro and in vivo systems, it is suggested that routine consumption or topical treatment of these polyphenols may provide efficient protection against the harmful effects of solar ultraviolet radiation in humans.”2
We might conclude that protective nutrition would include the consumption of several glasses of green tea daily, some dark green vegetables such as broccoli, spinach and other deep greens, and the daily habit of eating dark berries, cherries and other such fruits. But there are other vegetables involved in the fight against skin cancer.
Some of the best skin protectants are tomatoes, which contain the antioxidant lycopene. One investigation showed that among individuals who consumed forty grams of tomato paste daily for ten weeks, sunburn-resistance time increased by 40%,[iii] and other research demonstrated that eating other tomato-based products correlated to significantly reduced risk of sunburn after exposure to ultraviolet radiation.[iv] And it is also known that individuals with the lowest intake of alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, cryptoxanthin, lutein, and lycopene (all carotenoid antioxidants found in such vegetables as carrots and tomatoes) had a 50% increased risk for melanoma.[v]
And what are factors that have negative influences on the risk of skin cancer? Alcohol consumption is one such factor; research indicated a 250% increased melanoma risk among those who consumed two or more alcoholic drinks per day.[vi] There are at least two other negative dietary aspects that correlate to increased skin-cancer risk: first, the highest dairy-product consumption has also been shown to correlate to a 2 ½ times increase in risk of developing a squamous-cell carcinoma (common skin cancer, not melanoma).[vii] Secondly, the types of fats we consume are exceptionally important. In my book, I have discussed and documented this topic thoroughly, but suffice it to say that the types of fats we consume in junk foods are deadly, both for overall health and for skin cancer. They are filled with free-radical molecules that wreak havoc on the skin; if we eat such fats without massive quantities of colorful fruits and veggies, we will be much more susceptible to skin damage and potential cancer.
To summarize: to the extent that sunlight causes skin damage, it does so due to lack of proper nutrients in the diet, and there is little doubt that there will be some damage caused by sun exposure without proper nutrition. Even vitamin D, which protects against so many cancers (including skin cancer), will not be able to completely overcome the deleterious effect of the “suicide diet” that most of us consume.
[i] Afaq F, Katiyar SK. Polyphenols: Skin Photoprotection and Inhibition of Photocarcinogenesis. Mini Rev Med Chem 2011 Oct 28. [Epub ahead of print]
[ii] Afaq F, Katiyar SK. Skin photoprotection by natural polyphenols: Anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and DNA repair mechanisms. Arch Dermatol Res 2010;302:71.
[iii] Stahl, W. et al. Dietary Tomato Paste Protects against Ultraviolet Light–Induced Erythema in Humans. J Nutr 2001;131:1449-51.
[iv] Aust, O. et al. Supplementation with tomato-based products increases lycopene, phytofluene, and phytoene levels in human serum and protects against UV-light-induced erythema. Int J Vitam Nutr Res 2005;75:54-60.
[v] Millen A. et al. Diet and melanoma in a case-control study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2004;13:1042-51
[vi] Bain, C. et al. Diet and melanoma. An exploratory case-control study. Ann Epidemiol 1993;3:235-38.
[vii] Hughes, M. et al. Food intake and risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin in a community: The Nambour skin cancer cohort study. Int J Cancer 2006; online publication ahead of print.
The people of Dubai have one of the highest bone disease risks in the world; about 1/4 of the population has bone disease. Lack of sunlight exposure due to obvious cultural habits cause reduced vitamin D levels, resulting in an incredibly high risk of osteoporosis. There needs to be some serious thinking in the medical community there to find methods of optimizing vitamin D levels.
There are so many positive aspects of the sun: It warms our planet; it is the source of all life on earth; it brightens our moods and it helps us to maintain health. As this article demonstrates, it is the essence of our existence.
Did you know that by getting adequate exposure to sunshine health levels actually increase? It’s true. Of course, you wouldn’t learn this truth by reading most news reports. Media reports have practically vilified sunlight exposure. It is true that excessive exposure to sunlight, just like excessive levels of just about anything, is bad for your health.
We cannot afford to throw out the baby with the bathwater when it comes to gleaning the health benefits of proper exposure to sunlight. Our bodies need to soak up sunshine to be truly healthy. In fact, there are vital processes that are slowed or stopped altogether when people avoid going out into the sunshine.
How Does Sunshine Improve Health?
The human body needs to interact with sunshine in order to process and properly utilize Vitamin D. Vitamin D has many benefits, but one of the most important is its role in the mineralization and strengthening of bones. Without regular exposure to sunlight this essential vitamin will be unavailable to your body. Brittle bone diseases and serious bone injuries happen when bones lack strength.
It’s not just bones that benefit from a regular regiment of sunshine exposure. Routine exposure to sunshine also helps your body to maintain healthy nerves, blood rich in iron and more powerful muscles.
In cultures where the people are not afraid of regular exposures to sunshine, health levels seem to increase. People who live in North America and Europe suffer the most from lack of exposure to the sun. Millions of people in these countries suffer from a variety of health issues that could be averted altogether by taking time for regular sun exposure to the skin.
Experts estimate that as little as 10 to 15 minutes in the sun each day can dramatically reduce many serious health issues. There simply aren’t many things that can have such a dramatic impact on your health that are so simple to do. Not only is it easy to get regular sunlight exposure, it’s also free. Imagine that; something you can do every day to live a healthier life, that won’t cost you a penny.
What’s the Fuss about Skin Cancer?
In order for more people to take advantage of the power of sunshine health benefits, reeducation about sunlight exposure seems to be necessary. As was previously mentioned, the epidemic of skin cancer has caused a backlash against spending any time at all in the sun. Of course, skin cancer is a very serious condition, but it is usually caused by failing to protect the skin and inordinate amounts of time spent on tanning and other outdoor activities. True health is all about balance. If you eat too much health problems will occur. In a similar manner, spending huge chunks of your time tanning in the sunlight will also cause significant health problems, like skin cancer.
Simply put, your body will never be in a state of true health without regular time spent in the sunlight. Sunshine health benefits are available to everyone under the sun. This huge asset is free and people need to know just how important it is for living a healthier life.
Link: http://www.longevitystrategist.com/sunshine-health/
Well THIS is refreshing…
After years of warning against the dangers of sunlight, at least one mainstream researcher has caught up to reality.
He’s Angus Dalgleish, M.D., a medical oncologist and professor at St. George’s University of London. For most of his life he’s always avoided sunlight, covering up whenever he was outside and using plenty of sunblock.
As a “fair-haired Scot” (his own description), he always feared that too much sun might result in melanoma — the deadly form of skin cancer.
But his thinking began to change about 15 years ago. As part of a research team that tested vitamin D to treat breast cancer, he found that D could speed up the death of tumor cells and target tumors in many other ways.
Jump ahead a few years and Dr. Dalgleish was shocked when he started testing his cancer patients’ D levels. He expected 30 percent would be deficient. But his discovery that the percentage was closer to 90 “changed everything for me.”
Writing in a recent edition of the Daily Mail, he says he now believes that avoiding sun exposure increases rather than reduces skin cancer risk.
Welcome to the light side, Dr. Dalgleish. We have room for your colleagues, too.
“Yes! A dose of sun CAN protect you against skin cancer” Professor Angus Dalgleish, Daily Mail, 5/24/11, dailymail.co.uk
By Kiyan Rajabi–
A new study in Australia suggests that obtaining Vitamin D through sun exposure may help prevent the onset of multiple sclerosis as well as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and some types of cancer.
Multiple sclerosis (MS), which currently afflicts roughly 2.5 million people worldwide, is an autoimmune disorder that affects the brain and spinal cord and causes damage to the protective layer surrounding an individual’s nerve cells. As a consequence, the brain becomes less effective at communicating with the body as nerve impulses are slowed or, in severe cases, stopped entirely. Although very little is known about what causes MS, medical professionals believe environmental precursors, genetics, a virus or a combination of all three are factors in the onset of the disease.
In a recent study led by the University of Oxford, scientists monitored the vitamin D receptor binding sites in humans and observed a connection between the lipid-soluble vitamin and the activity of 229 genes. In explaining the significance of this finding, lead researcher Dr. Andreas Heger said, “Our study shows quite dramatically the wide-ranging influence that vitamin D exerts over our health.”
Similar studies in Scotland have correlated the country’s dreary weather with disease incidence as well as the population’s general vitamin D deficiency. One study by writer and scientist Oliver Gillie revealed that, on average, Scottish people were twice as likely to be vitamin D-deficient, and had vitamin D levels four times lower than those of their English neighbors, who receive approximately 400 more hours a year of sunlight than the Scottish. Accordingly, Scotland also ranks one of the highest countries in reported cases of MS. These findings have prompted a number of campaigns countrywide to encourage and educate citizens on the benefits of receiving adequate vitamin D.
The evidence linking vitamin D obtained through sun exposure and general health, including the prevention of MS, is so compelling that many scientists are claiming it is one of the most, if not the most, important nutrients for humans.
According to UCSB molecular, cellular and developmental biology professor Seng Hui Low, “The evidence is quite compelling that vitamin D could prevent multiple sclerosis or even prevent relapses in patients.”
While tanning salons may seem like a viable source for the fat-soluble vitamin in areas other than sunny Santa Barbara, they may actually be counterproductive for those trying to get healthier because of the beds’ other associated health risks.
“It is not advisable to frequently visit tanning salons as an effort to increase vitamin D synthesis because of the risk of skin cancer,” Low said.
Although the studies do not necessarily prove that sufficient vitamin D eliminates the risk of developing MS, medical practitioners will likely begin to prescribe it as a preventative measure to reduce the incidence of MS in light of the recent findings.
For all of those interested in skipping lecture for the beach to reap all the health-promoting benefits, here is some cautionary information: The body only needs five to 15 minutes to promote the internal vitamin D production needed daily. Consequently, sunbathing for longer is not necessarily advantageous, especially for fair-skinned people. Still, my fellow Gauchos, summer is just around the corner and I encourage you all to get outside, get your vitamins and look good doing it.
Link: http://www.dailynexus.com/2011-05-31/studies-suggest-sunlight-ward-disease/