We’ve been hearing about the dangers of sun exposure for decades. But a rising number of recent scientific studies show that the sun has a positive effect on our health. So positive, in fact, that some doctors increasingly recommend that we spend more time basking in it.
The sun helps convert Vitamin D into cholesterol in the skin. The vitamin is stored in fat cells and, when released, circulates throughout the body in the blood. Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium in bones, boosts the immune system as well as moods and benefits the cardiovascular system. Sunlight eases the discomfort of skin conditions like psoriasis, eczema, and acne. In the past 10 years, scientists have been stumbling across increasing evidence of the positive effects of the sun on certain types of cancer.
We also get vitamin D from animal products. Fatty fish like herring, salmon and tuna are particularly rich sources. But experts say it is impossible to get enough vitamin D from food sources alone. The Dutch, for example, only get 15 percent of their vitamin D from food and 85 percent from the sun.
Hence the great importance of sunlight to health. Getting enough sun may reduce the incidence of various types of cancer, with the notable exception of skin cancer. Irregular, intense sunbathing can lead to sunburns and indeed heightens the risk of developing melanoma—the most dangerous type of skin cancer—by about 60 percent. On the other hand, this risk is not increased by regular exposure to the sun. In fact, a few studies even suggest a protective effect from regular exposure. Remarkably, people who work outdoors—farmers, construction workers, road workers—have actually the smallest chance of developing melanoma.
In essence, this means spending more time outdoors, not suddenly “baking” for hours at high noon. It also means seeking shade when the sun is most intense.
Staying in the sun is healthy. And as if that’s not enough good news, there’s another upside to sunlight: It makes us happy.
