It’s that time of the year when we passionately try to get all the sunlight exposure we can. Whether we pack suitcases to go on vacations, or just put on our beach attire to get to a nearby beach, the first thing we should think of is sunscreen. We’ve been told for years that sun exposure does too much damage to the skin, and that’s why we are bombarded with tons of sunscreen choices.
However, despite all the skin protection out there, skin cancer has been on the rise. AND what do we put the blame on – THE SUN.
How can we blame all the sunscreen lotions when they are supposed to protect us from cancer? Despite a popular belief, sunlight exposure does more good than damage and it helps protect us from cancer! Sunlight exposure is crucial for our health.
Vitamin D and Sunlight Exposure
Vitamin D is so needed for our bodies since we can’t produce it on our own, thus, by putting all those chemically packed sunscreen choices, we are robbing ourselves of the precious vitamin. Vitamin D promotes strong bones, helps protect against cancer, builds a healthy immune system and can even protect against cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, sunscreens have been designed to block UVB rays which are involved in vitamin D3 production by our bodies and allow UVA rays that are responsible for DNA damage and most skin cancers penetrate our skin. UVB rays from the sun penetrate the outer layers of the skin, then cholesterol in the tissue of the skin absorbs this UV light to make vitamin D3. This cannot happen without sunlight.
However, Vitamin D3 can not get into your bloodstream immediately since it is first formed on the skin surface. It takes time for the Vitamin D3 to be absorbed from the skin into the bloodstream. Thus, washing your body wish soap needs to be delayed after sun exposure because you can wash away the skin’s oils that have started the vitamin D process. So, the so-called science for the last 30 years has been dictating to use dangerous sunscreens that contain cancer causing substances and avoid the very sun that can actually protect us from skin cancer.
How To Make Sure You’re Getting Enough Vitamin D
You need to know that UVB rays are strongest during summer and they are at their full force during mid day. It’s been proven that 8,000 to 10,000 iu dosages safe for nearly everyone. You need to also take into account that skin color affects a person’s ability to create D3 in the skin. The darker your skin, the more you ought to be exposed to sunlight for Vitamin D3 production. Light skinned people should be in the full sun from 10 to 45 minutes and dark skinned people from 2 to 2.5 hours.
Salmon, mackerel, and other oily fish are good sources of vitamin D.
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