I need my dose of sunshine every year as it is a good
supply of vitamin D necessary for the absorption of calcium
in the body. The sun is a natural element that is very much
part of our life.
I cringe at the sight of people who apply masses of sun
cream to their skin frequently. Sun cream (apart from
making pharmaceutical and cosmetic manufacturers wealthy)
is a strong chemicals that prevent your skin from absorbing
beneficial sun rays. Some of the ingredients in these sun
creams have been demonstrated to be carcinogenic
(encourages the development of cancer cells).
The sun is natural. The cream is not.
We have been told that our planet is being depleted from
Ozone (O3). Scientists have told us that our Ozone layer
currently is 5% depleted and when it is 17% depleted then
it's goodbye from me and goodbye from .. all of us.
The hole in the Ozone layer is getting worse in the North
and South poles we are told. This has been partly triggered
by Chlorofluorocarbons gas (CFC) release in the air from
our aerosols, fridges etc..
We must understand that Ozone is a gas that forms when the
sunlight meets earth's atmosphere. There is very little
direct sunlight in the North and South poles as the sun
strikes at an angle without producing Ozone. This is why
there has always been less Ozone in the 2 poles. Not
because you spray some deodorant (hopefully without
aluminium in it) or anti-perspirant (deadly by the way)
under your arms.
Rule by fear!
Listen to this one: The American government has spent
$19,000,000 to find out if the farting and belching of cows
was damaging the Ozone layer!!!
Having said all this, let me answer the question: Is
sunlight good for you?
Sunlight can Actually Prevent Cancer. Insufficient exposure
to ultraviolet radiation may be an important risk factor
for cancer in Western Europe and North America, according
to a new study published in the prominent Cancer journal
that directly contradicts official advice about sunlight.
The research examined cancer mortality in the United
States. Deaths from a range of cancers of the reproductive
and digestive systems were approximately twice as high in
New England as in the southwest, despite a diet that varies
little between regions. An examination of 506 regions found
a close inverse correlation between cancer mortality and
levels of ultraviolet B light.
The likeliest mechanism for a protective effect of sunlight
is vitamin D, which is synthesized by the body in the
presence of ultraviolet B. The study's author, Dr William
Grant, says northern parts of the United States may be dark
enough in winter that vitamin D synthesis shuts down
completely. While the study focused on white Americans, the
same geographical trend affects black Americans, whose
overall cancer rates are significantly higher. Darker
skinned people require more sunlight to synthesize vitamin
D.
There are 13 malignancies that show this inverse
correlation, mostly reproductive and digestive cancers. The
strongest inverse correlation is with breast, colon, and
ovarian cancer.
Other cancers apparently affected by sunlight include
tumours of the bladder, uterus, esophagus, rectum, and
stomach. Cancer March 2002; 94:1867-75
As Dr Mercola points out on his web site: Most people
believe that sun exposure causes cancer. Nothing could be
further from the truth. As this study published in the
prestigious Cancer journal indicates, exposure to sun
actually decreases cancer rates.
Does this mean that one's sun exposure does not contribute
to skin cancer? Absolutely not. However, skin cancers are
more likely related to the large distortion most people
have in their omega-6 to omega-3 fat ratio. The high excess
of omega-6 fats (from meat and cheese) in most people's
diet puts them at a much higher risk of developing skin
cancer when exposed to excess sun.
So the solution is not to slather sun block on. Sun block
can be quite toxic and should be avoided by most people.
The sensible approach would be to limit sun exposure so you
never get sun burned. It is sunburn in conjunction with
excess omega-6 fats that increases your risk of skin
cancer. But even with the potential increase in skin
cancer, most skin cancers are relatively benign when
compared with breast, colon, and prostate cancers that lack
of sun exposure is associated with.
So you can't have it both ways. Avoid the sun and don't
change your diet and you will lower your risk of skin
cancer, but increase your risk of far more common and
deadlier cancers. So why not change the fat content of your
diet and use sensible sun exposure guidelines and reap the
benefits of sunlight?
It is also important to note that many researchers are
currently evaluating vitamin D and its analogs in the
treatment of cancer (van den Bemd GJ, Chang GT. Vitamin D
and vitamin D analogs in cancer treatment. Curr Drug
Targets. 2002 Feb;3(1):85-94.) Vitamin D can no longer
properly be considered a vitamin. Nevertheless, vitamin D
resembles true vitamins inasmuch as humans -- who are cut
off from the critical solar ultraviolet wavelengths by
reason of latitude, clothing, or shelter -- depend on an
external source of the substance, just as they do for the
true essential nutrients.
The major biologic function of vitamin D is to maintain
normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin D
aids in the absorption of calcium, helping to form and
maintain strong bones. It promotes bone mineralization in
concert with a number of other vitamins, minerals, and
hormones. However, it is quite clear that vitamin D does
far more than promote optimized bone health.
In addition to the strong evidence provided in this article
about prevention of cancer vitamin D has also been
associated with improvement in the following conditions:
• Diabetes
• Heart Disease
• Arthritis
• Infertility and PMS
• Fatigue, Depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder
• Autoimmune Disorders
• Obesity
• Syndrome X
Some key points to remember.
The vitamin D in milk, and that put in most vitamins is
vitamin D2 and is synthetic. Vitamin D2 is also called
ergocalciferol. It is not the vitamin D that you want to
supplement with. It is not nearly as good as the vitamin D
obtained from sunlight or natural food sources like cod
liver oil which is called vitamin D3 or calciferol. The
best place to get vitamin D is from UV-B from sunlight.
However, darker skinned people require 10 to 20 times the
sun exposure length than lighter skinned people do to build
up the same amount of vitamin D.
That is one of the major reasons why African Americans have
a much higher rate of cancer in North America than other
ethnic groups. Most people, who have skin that is deeply
pigmented, should take extra precautions when living in
North America for health reasons. The only work around for
them to maintain their health would be to optimize their
vitamin D levels.
It is also very important to realize that the RDA of
vitamin D of 400 units is absolutely inadequate for most
people who do not have exposure to regular sunshine. Most
people may need up to 10,000 units per day for a short time
to build their vitamin D levels up to healthy ranges. One
must be very clear however that this should only be done
under supervision with a health care professional who can
monitor vitamin D levels. Vitamin D in excessive doses can
be quite dangerous as it can cause calcium to deposit in
your soft tissues and kidney and this is not easy to turn
around.
So, to resume:
* Sun creams contain strong chemicals that may be
carcinogenic
* The sun is natural and needed as an essential source of
Vitamin D * Sunshine can actually lower your risk of cancer
Do not expose yourself for long period of time to the sun.
Expose yourself gradually and never allow yourself to burn.
----------------------------------------------------
Patrick Hamouy runs a school of Alternative Therapies with
branches in West London and Brighton (UK). He teaches Reiki
Healing, Indian Head Massage, Emotional Freedom Therapy
(EFT), Anatomy & Physiology, Oriental Diagnosis & Psychic
Development. He sees customers for consultations.in
Macrobiotic, Emotional Freedom Therapy (EFT) and Removal of
toxic products from the home environment Full information
on his web site at: http://www.therapies.com
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