Unexpected benefits of sun exposure you may not know
As the sunny days of summer approach here in the US, the sunscreen routine is about to begin. Before you slather up next time, it’s important to recognize some lesser-known benefits of sun exposure that will actually improve your family’s health. Vitamin D, also referred to as the sunshine vitamin, is widely recognized in supporting mental health. But there are other benefits that you might find surprising.
Part of the cancer-fighting puzzle:
Many years ago, when I lived in the Midwestern United States, I had a friend who was diagnosed with melanoma. 7 times.
She began to do her own research, including conversations with different dermatologists. As a result, rather than continue to cover up her body from head-to-toe and slather any square inch of bare skin with sunscreen, she went out and bought a bikini.
What’s that, you say?
Well, her research indicated that what she might be missing as an integral piece of her cancer-fighting puzzle, was, ironically — sunshine.
By covering up and utilizing sunscreen constantly, she was deficient in vitamin D. By SAFELY exposing her skin for a limited time, she could increase her vitamin D levels and potentially prevent this string of constant melanoma occurrences.
So what happened?
She was never diagnosed with melanoma again.
Plus these other common health conditions:
While some might say my friend’s story was luck, or coincidence, the fact of the matter is that she is not alone. After researching further myself, I found that many medical practitioners have gone on record to say that humans NEED sun.
Why? Because there are a number of common health conditions that can benefit from sun exposure and an adequate store of vitamin D.
These include: Asthma, eczema, cardiovascular disease, diabetes (Type B), chronic pain, colds & flu, dental cavities, preeclampsia, prenatal infections, and preterm birth.
Humans need sun exposure:
Regardless of your skin color, we are all made to get our vitamin D from sun, NOT from a supplement.
And it’s not enough to eat foods that have it — we just can’t ingest a large enough quantity for what we need.
Here’s how to absorb the benefits of sun exposure safely:
1. Expose legs, arms, and torso.
2. Cover the face (it’s not necessary to expose and is a sun-sensitive area for many).
3. Go outside between the hours of 10 am and 2 pm.
4. You don’t need long. 10-15 minutes is often plenty. And in the case of my friend, since she was a fair-skinned redhead, every year when the warmer months approached, she would start out slow and work her way up to longer, to ensure she did not get burned. Which brings me to my next point…
4. Don’t get burned. It’s not necessary and it’s not advisable. While it IS harder for those of us with darker skin to absorb Vitamin D (melanin is a natural sunscreen, folks!) and therefore we may need to stay out longer than our fair-skinned friends, you’ll need to figure out how long is too long for you to be in the sun.
To find out more:
There’s a lot more you can know about the many benefits of sun exposure, so feel free to check out these resources for more details:
Tapping into the benefits of sun exposure is just one way to improve your health and wellness. If you are concerned about one of the health conditions mentioned above, and prefer a more customized approach to managing your personal health challenges, I invite you to reach out to see which one of my programs is right for you.