Exposure to sunlight prevents chronic disease and cancer

Consider that sick animals lay in the sun. Plants and flowers grow toward the sun. Do they know something we do not?

by Gayle Earle — 

Are recommendations to cover up and stay out of the sun putting our health at risk? William B. Grant, Ph.D., who has studied the dietary and environmental links to chronic disease for 30 years, believes the optimal level of Vitamin D ranges from 30 to 40 ng/ml for cancer prevention and optimal health. He also reports that 80 to 90 percent of Americans suffer from vitamin D deficiency.

The least expensive and most natural way to maintain optimal intake of vitamin D is through daily sun exposure. The sun produces two kinds of ultraviolet (UV) rays. UVA rays stimulate your skin’s production of melanin, causing a tanning effect. UVB rays stimulate production of vitamin D, which facilitates calcium absorption.

Without enough vitamin D, your bones can disintegrate, increasing your risk of developing rickets, osteopenia, osteoporosis and osteomalacia. Elevated vitamin D levels have been associated with reduced risk of Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, high blood pressure, fatigue and depression.

According to researchers, optimal levels of vitamin D — whether achieved through supplementation or increased sun exposure — can reduce your risk of developing lymphoma, melanoma, or colon, breast, ovarian or prostate cancer.

Ironically, the slogan “there is no such thing as a healthy tan” has put a generation of people at greater risk for melanoma. According to researchers, sunscreen protects against basal cell carcinoma, sunburn and the slow wrinkling that accompanies aging skin. Scientists are unsure whether sunscreen actually protects against melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer.

For optimal vitamin-D synthesis, Grant recommends 15 to 30 minutes of daily sun exposure for fair-skinned individuals. Darker skinned individuals may require one to two hours.

But you must exercise caution. A little bit of sun exposure can help protect against disease, but too much, too fast, can lead to burning. Experts recommend a gradual increase in sun exposure, starting with a few minutes each day in the early morning. Over time, you will build up a natural resistance, a tan and tolerance for greater doses of sunshine.

Consider that sick animals lay in the sun. Plants and flowers grow toward the sun. Do they know something we do not?

Gayle Earle is a certified hypnotherapist, Life Between Life Regression therapist, personal and small business coach, intuitive healer, lecturer, and she leads dolphin and whale swim trips. www.divineawakenings.com, [email protected] or 602-234-6111.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 24, Number 4, August/September 2005.