NEWS: Scientists Say Sunshine May Prevent Cancer, page 1

posted on May, 21 2005 @ 03:35 PM

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The conventional wisdom for the last decade or more has been that excess exposure of the skin to the sun dramatically increases one's risk for skin cancer. However, it is also well known that the skin produces vitamin D upon exposure to ultraviolet radiation. This link is now causing some scientists to rethink the advice about frequent use of sunscreen.

apnews.myway.com
Scientists are excited about a vitamin again. But unlike fads that sizzled and fizzled, the evidence this time is strong and keeps growing. If it bears out, it will challenge one of medicine's most fundamental beliefs: that people need to coat themselves with sunscreen whenever they're in the sun. Doing that may actually contribute to far more cancer deaths than it prevents, some researchers think.

The vitamin is D, nicknamed the "sunshine vitamin" because the skin makes it from ultraviolet rays. Sunscreen blocks its production, but dermatologists and health agencies have long preached that such lotions are needed to prevent skin cancer. Now some scientists are questioning that advice. The reason is that vitamin D increasingly seems important for preventing and even treating many types of cancer.

In the last three months alone, four separate studies found it helped protect against lymphoma and cancers of the prostate, lung and, ironically, the skin. The strongest evidence is for colon cancer.

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I'm a pretty fair-skinned individual and live in southwest USA. If I'm planning to spend more than a half-hour outdoors, I'm always careful to put on some SPF 45 cream - I hate getting sunburned.

I guess the moral of this story, as with so many others where our health is concerned is "everything in moderation".

soficrow

posted on May, 22 2005 @ 01:38 PM

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Very interesting. Amazing how our bodies work isn't it?

Quake

posted on May, 22 2005 @ 01:49 PM

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No one is suggesting that people fry on a beach. But many scientists believe that "safe sun" - 15 minutes or so a few times a week without sunscreen - is not only possible but helpful to health.

Well, I do not know about others, but I hardly know of people (including myself) in midwest US who apply sunscreen if they go out for 15 min, that too a few times a week?

Hal9000

posted on May, 22 2005 @ 04:21 PM

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I also believe some exposure is healthy. I live in Ohio, so in the winter we get no sunshine at all. I think this is one reason that we are more susceptible to colds and flues during this time. I even tried using a tanning bed once in a while and I think it helps to prevent colds. I think sunscreen is a good thing for long exposure, but not sun block.

I guess the moral of this story, as with so many others where our health is concerned is "everything in moderation".

Very true.

Matyas

posted on May, 22 2005 @ 05:11 PM

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Yes, I have always believed this, and furthermore I try to get as much incidental sunlight into my eyes as possible (without glasses) to prevent arthritis. People think I am crazy, but if one goes easy on the body it can surely take it. I mean, after all, doesn't it stand to reason that 50M + years of evolution would make niches for this resource?