Rancho La Puerta (Baja Mexico)
I think if we are being honest, we will admit that we feel better, happier and healthier with a little sun. It is true, that burning the skin with too much sun can be damaging, but it is equally true that sunlight starvation is implicated in creating a host of other conditions from depression to disease. Epidemiological studies indicate that you are much more likely to die from disorders aggravated by chronic underexposure to the sun than disorders aggravated by overexposure. There is a wonderful Italian proverb which states, Where the sun does not go, the doctor does. Science is beginning to agree with this folk wisdom. Scientists from the National Institute of Health recently concluded that our nation is currently in the midst of a Vitamin D deficiency crisis. And this deficiency contributes to rickets, osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, hypertension, periodontal disease, heart disease and many common cancers.
For centuries, physicians and healers have utilized helio-therapy to mend wounds, strengthen bones, fight infections such as TB and rebuild strength after an illness. All of this accumulated wisdom was forgotten when researchers began to link the increase of skin cancer and melanoma over the last few decades with overexposure to sun. But is this rash of cancers really only from the sun? Many nutritionally oriented MDs point out that exposure to sunlight doesn't actually cause skin cancer. Rather, a lack of sunlight can lead to skin cancer because that lack leads to a vitamin D deficiency. Additionally, they note that our increased consumption of devitalized foods and our exposure to thousands of chemicals in food, water, air, housecleaning and personal care products (including sun screens) must be considered as major contributors to the rising incidence of cancer of all sorts.
In his pivotal book Sunlight Could Save Your Life, the late Zane Kime MD made a very cogent argument in favor of the intelligent use of sun to raise immunity and one's spirits while at the same time lowering stress hormones, blood pressure and cholesterol and wiping out anxiety and depression. Dr. Kime was very clear that to sunbathe safely, a person had to be on a good diet, meaning one rich in anti-oxidants from largely plant based foods. Plants are chock full of phyto-chemicals which allow them to withstand exposure to solar radiation all day long without burning.
These same plant-based substances protect us from sun damage when consumed in sufficient quantities. For inner protection, eat plenty of the foods that nature offers in abundance during the sun drenched months: fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds, legumes and whole grains. Think rainbow colors; the deeper the color and the greater variety of colors, the greater the protection.
Dr. Kime also insisted that we strictly avoid junky processed foods and highly refined, hydrogenated and interesterified oils, which confer absolutely no protection for the skin or the rest of the body for that matter and are, in fact, very damaging to our systems. Once on a good diet, he invited us to learn to harness the sun's rays intelligently by short regular exposures to sunlight. If you had not seen the light for months during a long winter, he recommended just a couple minutes for the first exposure, and gradually increasing sunbathing time as pigment was developed in the skin. Melanin is that pigment that provides our body's natural sunscreen in the form of a tan. Once the skin had pigment, a fair person could safely be in the sun 15 – 20 minutes without concern. A darker person might need to stay in the sun 30 – 60 minutes to develop their vitamin D and derive the other benefits of sun bathing.
More recently Dr. Michael F. Holick, a dermatologist with a dissenting voice, has been offering the same recommendations. Dr. Holick, author of the UV Advantage, argues that controlled exposure to sunshine can have powerful salutary benefits. He has researched the subject for decades and concluded that sunlight is good medicine. For good on-line interview with Dr. Holick, click on the following link. http://www.doctoryourself.com/holick.html
If you will not go in the sun, please have your levels of Vitamin D tested and, if found deficient, take a natural D (D3) supplement such as Carlson's or Nordic Naturals cod liver oil, Carlson's D drops from lanolin or D Emulsion Forte. D2 is a synthetic form made by irradiating yeast or mold. Some argue that it is not as effective as D3.
How much vitamin D should we take a day? The government says we only need 400 IU and up to 600 -800 IU as we age. Many doctors recommend as much as 1000 up to 4000 units a day. The Vitamin D Council offers advice on the subject of dosing and the cofactors needed for the body to properly utilize vitamin D, magnesium being the most important. www.vitamindcouncil.org Since vitamin D is actually a steroid hormone, please have your doctor monitor your levels regularly.
The online magazine Real Age provides a listing of the best natural food sources for Vitamin D http://www.realage.com/eat-smart/food-and-nutrition/vitamin-d
And finally, a caution about sunscreens: Many commercial sunscreens are loaded with unhealthy ingredients, some of which are known carcinogens. Here a link to Environmental Working Group's article on the subject with a list of safer natural products at the end. http://www.ewg.org/news/experts-explore-safety-sunscreen
Dr. David Williams notes that many sunscreens actually contain estrogen like substances and should be strictly avoided. Instead he recommends using 2 tablespoons vitamin C powder in 8 ounces of water or all natural skin cream as a natural sun block. Reapply every half hour. For lasting protection he recommends zinc oxide, which he admits is not the most attractive sunscreen, but it is very effective. http://phobos.doctorspreferred.com/Emails/walt/060407_eletter_default.html
As summer approaches get your self ready now by loading up on colorful plant based foods. When it arrives, remember to sunbathe intelligently and, as with all things, in moderation.
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