We don't stop hearing warnings about sun exposure, but is there a situation where we're exaggerating a bit and doing more harm than good?
Let's start with a study that followed the sun exposure of 30,000 women in Sweden for 20 years, which found that women with sun avoidance habits had a
2-fold increased risk of premature mortality than women with normal sun exposure habits. Moreover, women exposed to the sun did not have an increased risk of melanoma (which is the deadly skin cancer we fear) or melanoma-related mortality. Another study from Sweden followed 38,000 women for 15 years and found that sun exposure was associated with both a reduction in mortality from heart disease and a decrease in overall mortality.
How does sunlight affect our health?
Vitamin D Sunlight is the main source of vitamin D. Very few foods naturally contain vitamin D
and include wild salmon, cod oil, and dried mushrooms. Vitamin deficiency is associated with at least 17 types of cancer, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, autoimmune diseases, type 2 diabetes, depression, birth defects, infectious diseases, and more. It is likely that women who avoided sun exposure in the Swedish studies were vitamin D deficient and therefore had an increased risk of mortality.
Heart
disease The seasons have a dramatic effect on mortality from heart disease. A 1998 study conducted in Ireland found that mortality from heart disease was 31 percent higher in men and 39 percent higher in women in winter than in summer. The finding is consistent with studies showing lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels in men and women during the summer months compared to winter. In further studies, it was observed that people who lived in areas far from the equator (where there is less sunlight) had a higher incidence of hypertension and higher average blood pressure than people who lived near the equator (where there is more sunlight).
So how does sunlight lower blood pressure and lower the risk of heart disease? One mechanism is that sunlight stimulates the production of a substance called nitric oxide. Nitric oxide causes our blood vessels to dilate, thereby lowering blood pressure. Lowering blood pressure is most important because blood pressure is one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Even a relatively small drop in blood pressure can significantly reduce the risk of death from heart attack or stroke.
10 minutes is enough. Sun (Photo: ShutterStock, Iakov Kalinin)
Immune System Function Studies have shown that the more sunny the area where you were born, the lower your risk of developing MS. In addition, the incidence of multiple sclerosis outbreaks is higher in winter than in summer. A study of infants in their first year of life found that vitamin D reduced the risk of type 1 diabetes by 88 percent.
Sun exposure also improves the immune system's coping with infections. The Nobel Prize was awarded to Finsen for noting that exposure to sunlight was effective in treating tuberculosis of the skin. In addition, healthy adults who maintained normal vitamin D levels had a 2-fold reduction in the risk of developing acute respiratory viral infections.
Crayfish
A 1941 study (a strain long ago, but it's important) comparing states with lots of sun to states with less sun found that states with less sun had a much higher risk of dying from cancer. In other studies, vitamin D deficiency has been associated with an increased risk of colon cancer, and giving it can reduce the risk by up to 50%.
Many other studies have shown an association between vitamin D deficiency and living in areas far from the equator with an increased risk of developing cancer and an increased risk of cancer mortality. In a study of women in Canada, it was found that women who had the most sun exposure between the ages of 10 and 19 had a 69 percent lower risk of developing breast cancer than women with the least sun exposure. The mechanism by which sun exposure is thought to protect against various cancers is probably vitamin D, which can cause changes in gene activity so that preventive biological processes such as DNA repair and prevention of oxidative damage are activated.
Effect on the skin It is important to distinguish between the different types of skin cancer.The type that everyone fears is the
cancer called melanoma. Sunlight has been linked to cancers that are not dangerous, such as squamous cell carcinoma. In addition, sunlight can also damage the skin and cause wrinkles.
But what about melanoma, which is the dangerous skin cancer? Melanoma is usually found on the areas of the body least exposed to the sun. Sun exposure at work was actually associated with a decrease in the risk of this deadly cancer.
Mood and circadian
rhythm impact
You've probably experienced the improvement in mood when exposed to sunlight. When testing people after using sun beds, we see a 44% increase in beta endorphins. Beta endorphins are what make you feel good about exercise, but they also suppress pain and create a sense of calm.
The lack of sunlight has been linked to depression. In people who are sensitive to this, the winter months can lead to seasonal depression. Treatment with a lamp can relieve the symptoms of seasonal depression. Today, we know that all the cells in our body have a circadian rhythm, and sunlight plays an important role in controlling our circadian rhythm. Sun exposure during the day will improve our sleep at night.
More in Walla!
KKL-JNF encourages climate studies through scholarships for young students
In cooperation with KKL-JNF
Should I watch out for the sun or be exposed to it?
In light of the health benefits of sunlight, it is recommended not to be afraid of the sun, but it is recommended to do so in moderation.
● To get the health benefits of the sun, spend time in the sun (without sunscreen) so that the time you spend in the sun will be about half the time it takes your skin to redden. In a very light-skinned person it can be only 10 minutes while in a dark-skinned person it can take 3 hours. In summer do this at least 3 times a week, and in winter do it 7-<> times a week.
●Avoid burning in the sun. If you are going to spend a long time in the sun, cover yourself with light-colored clothing, wear a hat, use sunglasses and try to be in the shade as much as possible.
●Pay attention to the time of year: in summer there is a need to spend less time in the sun than in winter.
Sun protection is important, but most protection factors are not effective or safe. Most protective factors contain a variety of chemicals such as fragrances, alcohol, chemical solvents, and more, which break down when exposed to sunlight.
Unfortunately, natural protective factors like zinc oxide can also be problematic. When exposed to sunlight, zinc oxide releases free radicals that can damage cells and increase the risk of cancer. But it is still better to use the natural protective coefficients than the protective coefficients filled with chemicals.
- health
- news
Tags
- sun
- Vitamin D
- Heart disease
- radiation
- Protection coefficients