Sunscreen may be lethal. Yet, there have been suggestions that everyone wear it all day long, including during winter. Furthermore, some are now suggesting that we also wear a special new sunscreen at night. Why? Because, supposedly, this would protect us from the damage that may have already occurred during daytime sun exposure.[1] It seems that the most appropriate description of this message is “insanity.” If the sunscreen used in the day did not prevent damage, why would we need it at night?
Here is your answer regarding sunscreen:
The assault against the sun is a ploy to sell a product. The sellers are doing well. For example, sunscreen sales are a multibillion-dollar business. Especially relevant is the fact that sales in 1972 were about $18 million per year.[2] But, the total USA market for sunscreens in 2005 had climbed to $640 million a year.[3] In 1972 dollars it is equivalent to $320 million, an almost 18-fold increase. However, those figures pale by comparison with figures from 2013: The global sun care market generated 5.6 billion US dollars from its sun-protection products segment. This segment includes sunscreens—many of which are ingredients in cosmetics.[4]
Most noteworthy is this important fact: the first sunscreens appeared about seven decades ago, and melanoma risk has increased by about 3,000% since that time.[5] It seems like more sunscreens = more melanoma. Consequently, we cannot recommend these noxious products. However, the manufacturers of these products can never satiate their lust for more money. Hence, they and their accomplices are now suggesting 24-hour application.
The Powers of Darkness; purveyors of sunscreen.
The Skin Cancer Foundation, which takes donations from many sunscreen manufacturers, has stated: “for adequate protection against melanoma, non-melanoma skin cancers and photo-aging, everyone over the age of six months should use sunscreen daily year-round, in any weather.” Due to this advice, sunscreen sales go ballistic, while the public suffers poor health. Yes, they are suggesting we use their products even in cloudy weather in the winter! How convenient, for an organization that receives sunscreen dollars, to make such a statement. Could it be due to a conflict of interest here?
Consider common sense when considering sunscreen! 
Each year sunscreen sales increase, and as a result, each year melanoma incidence increases? Does it seem like there is something wrong with that scenario? Those who insist on 24-hour-per-day sunscreen use, probably missed an important study. It compared 571 people with a first diagnosis of melanoma with 913 healthy control subjects. The results, were that those who used sunscreens, were 1.8 times more likely to contract melanoma than those who did not. And, among those who always used sunscreens, so they could stay out longer in the sun, the risk of melanoma was 8.7 times greater than those who did not use them.[6]
How do you protect from too much sun exposure? Not sunscreen!
You may begin to redden or feel too hot. Maybe you should remove yourself from the sunlight? Most of all, do not use sunscreens. And, you should cover up or seek the shade. That is the way God (or Nature if you prefer) intended it. In conclusion, remember that non-burning sunlight is a friend, so enjoy your friend!
[1] Sanjay Premi, Silvia Wallisch, Camila M. Mano Adam B. Weiner, Antonella Bacchiocchi, Kazumasa Wakamatsu. Chemiexcitation of melanin derivatives induces DNA photoproducts long after UV exposure. Science 20 Feb 2015:347: 6224, 842-847.
[2] Moss, R. Another Dissident Dermatologist. Cancerdecisions.com Newsletter. 2005.
[3] Bonner, C. Contact Kline Co.http://www.klinegroup.com/
[4] http://www.statista.com/topics/1990/sun-care-industry/
[5] Melanoma International Foundation, 2007. Facts about melanoma. Sources: National Cancer Institute 2007 SEER Database, American Cancer Society’s 2007 Facts and Figures, the Skin Cancer Foundation, the American Academy of Dermatology.
[6]Westerdahl J, Ingvar C, Mâsbäck A, Olsson H. Sunscreen use and malignant melanoma. Intern J Cancer 2000;87:145-50.
By Marc Sorenson, EdD. Sunlight Institute…
I suppose that it’s asking a bit much to tell someone to be born in the right season. But if it were possible, it would probably help a person to avoid some allergies. A most interesting scientific study from Korea explored the relationship among birth season, sunlight exposure during infancy, and allergic disease. It came to some very intriguing conclusions that indicate that sun exposure during pregnancy, and during the first two years of life, is exceptionally important. [1] The researchers explored relationships between birth season, sunlight exposure, and several allergic diseases.
They introduced their research by stating that “The recent increase in the prevalence of allergic diseases is hypothetically attributed to immune dysregulation in turn caused by a reduction in exposure to sunlight.”
Here are their findings:
- The prevalence of atopic dermatitis, a skin allergy, was 24% higher in children born in winter than those born in summer.
- Birth in winter was associated with a 56% increase in the prevalence of food allergy (FA).
- In addition, the lifetime prevalence of allergic diseases except food allergy (FA) was higher in children who had experienced inadequate sunlight in the first two years of life, compared to those children who had adequate exposure. In those whose sunlight exposure was inadequate, the following increases in risk were noted:
- Asthma 40% increased risk
- Allergic rhinitis (AR) 40%
- Atopic dermatitis (AD) 26%
The researchers concluded that “Birth in winter may be associated with development of AD and FA. Inadequate sunlight exposure before the age of 24 months might possibly increase the risks of development of asthma, AR, and AD.”
Great research, and the results are what we would have expected. There is almost no limit to the disease-preventing power of the Sun.
[1] Hwang JM, Oh SH, Shin MY. The relationships among birth season, sunlight exposure during infancy, and allergic disease. Korean J Pediatr. 2016 May;59(5):218-25. doi: 10.3345/kjp.2016.59.5.218. Epub 2016 May 31.
By Marc Sorenson, EdD, Sunlight Institute
After coming across some research having to do with sun exposure and the seasonality of fractures, I thought it wise to share it with my readers.
In high latitude areas, which have far less sun availability than lower latitude areas, we would expect rates of hip fracture to be high, and such is the case. Sweden is a country that has large differences in latitude, and in research performed there it was shown that the higher the latitude and the lesser the sun exposure, the greater was the risk of hip fracture.[1] In other words, significantly more hip fractures occurred in the northern part of the country compared to the middle and southern parts. Another Swedish investigation demonstrated that in men, hip fracture risk was 37.5% lower in summer than winter. Women had a 23.5% reduced risk in summer.[2]
Research from Norway showed similar results. Hip fracture risk in men was 40% higher in winter than summer, and in women the risk was 25% higher.[3]These fluctuations in seasonal hip fractures indicate a loss of bone mass during periods of low sun exposure (winter) and an increase in bone mass during periods of high sun exposure (summer). In other words, sun exposure is able to reverse bone loss, or osteoporosis. Other studies show similar patterns of bone strength based on sun exposure or lack thereof.[4]
The importance of sunlight in maintaining and producing strong bones has been known since antiquity. Dr. Richard Hobday, author of The Healing Sun, writes the following comments and a history in an online article.[5] “Traditionally, sunlight deprivation has been linked with weak or brittle bones. One of the earliest references to this was made more than two thousand years ago by the Greek historian Herodotus (480-425 BC), who noted a marked difference between the remains of the Egyptian and Persian casualties at the site of battle of Pelusium which took place in 525 BC:
‘At the place where this battle was fought I saw a very odd thing, which the natives had told me about. The bones still lay there, those of the Persian dead separate from those of the Egyptian, just as they were originally divided, and I noticed that the skulls of the Persians were so thin that the merest touch with a pebble will pierce them, but those of the Egyptians, on the other hand, are so tough that it is hardly possible to break them with a blow from a stone. I was told, very credibly, that the reason was that the Egyptians shave their heads from childhood, so that the bone of the skull is indurated by the action of the sun — this is why they hardly ever go bald, baldness being rarer in Egypt than anywhere else. This, then, explains the thickness of their skulls; and the thinness of the Persian’s skulls rests upon a similar principle: namely that they have always worn felt skull-caps, to guard their heads from the sun.’ Herodotus, ‘The Histories’”
The message is this: Don’t hide yourself from the sun; rather, embrace it in a safe manner, and that will protect your bones.
[1] Nilson F, Moniruzzaman S, Andersson R. A comparison of hip fracture incidence rates among elderly in Sweden by latitude and sun exposure. Scand J Public Health. 2014 Mar;42(2):201-6.
[2] Odén A, Kanis JA, McCloskey EV, Johansson H. The effect of latitude on the risk and seasonal variation in hip fracture in Sweden. J Bone Miner Res. 2014 Oct;29(10):2217-23.
[3] Solbakken SM1, Magnus JH, Meyer HE, Emaus N, Tell GS, Holvik K, Grimnes G, Forsmo S, Schei B, Søgaard AJ, Omsland TK.
[4] Grønskag AB1, Forsmo S, Romundstad P, Langhammer A, Schei B. Incidence and seasonal variation in hip fracture incidence among elderly women in Norway. The HUNT Study. Bone. 2010 May;46(5):1294-8.
[5] Richard Hobday. The Healing sun: Sunlight, Brittle Bones, and Osteoporosis. http://sunlightenment.com/the-healing-sun-sunlight-brittle-bones-and-osteoporosis/. (accessed February 5, 2016)
By Marc Sorenson, EdD, Sunlight Institute…
A recent press release from the Vitamin D Society of Canada discusses the need for vitamin D in the winter, in order to reduce the risk and intensity of seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. SAD is a feeling of low motivation, depressed mood, decreased concentration, anxiety and despair.
Dr. Samantha Kimball, the scientific advisor for the Society, has found that increasing vitamin D intake can help reduce the symptoms of SAD. She mentions that vitamin D, which is generated in the body by sunlight exposure, can modulate the immune system and reduce inflammation, thereby reducing the risk of depression.
Dr. Kimball is correct; the change can be absolutely dramatic based on serum vitamin D levels. One remarkable piece of research showed that those persons who had the lowest levels of D had almost 12 times as likely to be depressed as those who had the highest levels.[1]
Although I fully agree with Dr. Kimball, I can’t help but wish she had mentioned more on the benefits of the sunlight or even sunlamps, which are the most natural ways to increase vitamin D, but are also marvelously effective in improving mood beyond vitamin D.
In addition to vitamin D, there is a chemical produced by the brain in response to sunlight exposure to the eyes. It is called serotonin and is a natural “upper” or mood enhancer. It is also a neurotransmitter and is available to us from bright light entering the eyes. Even is Canada in winter, when there is no vitamin-D stimulating potential in sunlight, just being outdoors when there is sunshine will work to improve or prevent SAD. Sunlight can dramatically increase serotonin levels in the brain.
Dr. Gavin Lambert and his colleagues in Australia measured serotonin levels in response to varying degrees of bright light.[2] To do this, they drew blood samples from the internal jugular veins of 101 men and compared the serotonin concentration of the blood to weather conditions and seasons. The results were remarkable: Men who were measured on a very bright day produced eight times more serotonin than those who were measured on a cloudy, dismal day. They also observed that the effect of bright light was immediate, and that there was no holdover from day to day. Serotonin levels were also seven times higher in summer than winter. There we have another answer to SAD. When the sun is shining, wherever you are, take advantage of it. It will elevate your mood and make you feel more alive. And remember that tanning beds and other types of sunlight do a great job of increasing your vitamin D when the sun doesn’t shine. Finally, bright, full-spectrum lighting will also enhance your mood. Merry Christmas and HAPPY Holidays!
Click this link to read the Vitamin D Society press release: http://www.vitamindsociety.org/press_release.php?id=39
[1] Wilkins CH, Sheline YI, Roe CM, Birge SJ, Morris JC. Vitamin D Deficiency Is Associated With Low Mood and Worse Cognitive Performance in Older Adults. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2006;14:1032–1040).
[2] Lambert GW, Reid C, Kaye DM, Jennings GL, Esler MD. Effect of sunlight and season on serotonin turnover in the brain. Lancet. 2002 Dec 7;360(9348):1840-2.
By Marc Sorenson, EdD…
Although most of the readers of this blog probably know why people are healthier and happier during summer, new research show that at least part of the reason in that human immunity is stronger during that season.[i] An interesting anti-inflammatory transcription factor, called ARNTL, has about 50% greater gene activity levels in the summer than in the winter. This would mean that infectious diseases would be more likely to be squelched in the summer, and it could provide a reason for the excess of inflammatory diseases like influenza in the winter. Of course, vitamin D levels and sunlight exposure are also lower in winter, and it is likely that these factors work in concert.
One of the researchers, John Todd, stated the following regarding sunlight exposure, inflammation, and vitamin D. “Given that our immune systems appear to put us at greater risk of disease related to excessive inflammation in colder, darker months, and given the benefits we already understand from vitamin D, it is perhaps understandable that people want to head off for some ‘winter sun’ to improve their health and well-being.”[ii]
Dr. Todd’s advice sounds great to me. Let’s all head to Cabo to catch some life-saving sunlight!
[i] Xaquin Castro Dopico, Marina Evangelou, Ricardo C. Ferreira, Hui Guo, Marcin L. Pekalski, Deborah J. Smyth, Nicholas Cooper, Oliver S. Burren, Anthony J. Fulford, Branwen J. Hennig, Andrew M. Prentice, Anette-G. Ziegler, Ezio Bonifacio, Chris Wallace & John A. Todd. Widespread seasonal gene expression reveals annual differences in human immunity and physiology. May 2015.
[ii] Agata Blaszczak-Boxe. People Are Healthier in the Summer (and Here’s Why). http://www.livescience.com/50806-seasonal-variation-human-genes-immune-inflammation.html