Scientists Admit -- Sun Exposure Benefits Outweigh Risks

re: Scientists Admit -- Sun Exposure Benefits Outweigh Risks

Michael Buckler — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 08:16:31 GMT

The sentence which begins 'Meanwhile, rates of major cancers.........increase from North to South.....is ambiguous.Does it mean the Northern or Southern hemispheres. If the Northern then it contradicts the thrust of the article.

re: Scientists Admit -- Sun Exposure Benefits Outweigh Risks

davidcmcm — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 11:13:20 GMT

hi, I read all these comments and see a lot of my thoughts in many of them. I am a New Zealander now living in Tasmania Australia and I have thought from long before I left New Zealand, that after a dreary period or illness where there was no sun, to go out into the sun was like a tonic.

Here in Tasmania, I am living about as far away from the city or large population as it is possible to get and we have endless supplies of Wallaby ( a small kangaroo that abounds in the wild,) feral deer, fresh water fish and a climate most can only dream of. My work allows me to be outside as much as I want. I never use sunscreen and although I wear a broad brim hat in high sun, I always wear shorts pants and T shirts over 3/4 of the year. We have a great gymnasium for a population of 70 which I use regularly and I take 4g of Vitamen C, 2 Krill oil Omega 3 and 1 to 2 Probiotics a day plus coconut oil on home made bread and I feel great.

On the other hand, my wife takes none of these,(supplements) is very seldom in the sun and is suspicious of wild meat, is not interested in Mercola.com and has just had a mastectomy and is currently undergoing Chemotherapy, much to my disgust. Of course I support her and try to make it easier for her, but wish she were more open minded about alternatives. I have decided not to try to influence her anymore as it will just cause conflict, but will be there for her as needed.

David

re: Scientists Admit -- Sun Exposure Benefits Outweigh Risks

aemit — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 00:16:57 GMT

I'm from Europe but live in Japan. Way before I read about how the sun is necessary on both here this site and from Dr. Sears' book, I knew that it was good for me and I'm lucky that I can take suntan pretty much all year round! I take suntan for about one hour if the weather is nice. There is a nice spot behind the building where I live and it is the south side of the buiding so if I go down there, it is nice warm, yes, even in winter. When I tell people I do this and take suntan in my bikini, they think I'm crazy. Especially the Japanese who are so keen on keeping their skin the whiter the better. So I don't mention it much unless I want to appear like a nutcase :) If I do talk about my tanning, I make sure to point out that I do this for health maintenance and for me it is essential. But it is really true because when I cannot get any suntan for a while because of bad weather or my shift etc, I do feel it. My health level goes down.

re: Scientists Admit -- Sun Exposure Benefits Outweigh Risks

OutDream — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 19:56:20 GMT

listen, the reviewer here & the reviewer for yahoo, BOTH

managed to mangle & misrepresent the findings of the

study, by mistake. it is important to CLEARLY understand

the results of the finding. read the source article, or observe

in brief:

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 7, 2008:

"Surprisingly, **the incidence rates of major internal cancers also increase from north to south**. However, **the survival prognosis also improves significantly from north to south**."

yahoo's INCORRECT interpretation & mercola's reviewer as well:

"Meanwhile, rates of major cancers such as colon, lung, breast and prostate increased from north to south, while survival rates decreased from north to south."

re: Scientists Admit -- Sun Exposure Benefits Outweigh Risks

Shelli K — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 18:41:07 GMT

Yes, high altitude does increase your chance for a sunburn. Moving from sea level to 6,500 ft. above, noone ever explained that to me. I had to find out the hard way.

Now I just make sure I gradually increase my exposure time until my skin is use to the sun. This has really helped.

re: Scientists Admit -- Sun Exposure Benefits Outweigh Risks

jenandlaw — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 01:18:00 GMT

All I know is that beginning in college, I began getting "a common cold" about once every 6 weeks--it would take me three weeks to get completely over it. I eventually went to an ENT to see about having my tonsils taken out. I thought regular exercise might help, knowing that sugar depresses the immune system, so I began swimming every day. I continued to get sick about once every 6 weeks. Then this past summer, around July, I began walking every morning. I haven't been sick since. Now, considering that I'm 33 now, and have been going about 15 years getting sick all the time (with the FSA receipts to prove it) and the ONLY change in my life is that I'm walking instead of swimming (and getting sunlight as a result), I am absolutely convinced that the sunlight is the difference. And now it makes more sense. Sunlight is the reason we get sick more often in the winter--not only are we not out enjoying sports in the sun, we have a lot less sun to partake of (it's completely dark where I live before I even get off work). It also HAS to be the reason my friend with Lupus (an auto-immune disorder) has "flares" when she spends some time in the sun. The sun boosts her immune system which attacks her body more. Additionally, as a person who believes we were created, it only makes sense that we would receive benefits from the sun. Otherwise, God would have made a sunscreen tree!

re: Scientists Admit -- Sun Exposure Benefits Outweigh Risks

KenL — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:13:52 GMT

New here so go easy on me....

I read a book last year called Survival Of The Sickest by Dr Sharon Moalem. I remembered something I had read in that book and I thought I would share it here as the book is the only place I have ever seen or heard of this. The following quote is from pages 53 and 54.

"As everybody knows, skin color changes, to some extent, in response to sun exposure. The trigger for that response is the pituitary gland. Under natural circumstances, almos as soon as you are exposed to the sun, your pituitary gland produces hormones that act as boosters for your melanocytes, and your melanocytes start producing melanin in overdrive. Unfortunately, it's very easy to disrupt that process. The pituitary gland gets its information from the optic nerve - when the nerve senses sunlight, it signals the pituatary gland to kick start the melanocytes. Guess what happens when you're wearing sunglasses? Much less sunlight reaches the optic nerve, much less warning is sent to the pituatary gland. much less melanocyte-stimulating hormone is released, much less melanin is produced-and much more sunburn results."

If this is true could this not be the missing link between the damage that the sun can cause and the health benefits of sun exposure? Why would evolution make us need the sun yet too much might give us cancer? Could it simply be that we block the pituitary gland response by wearing sunglasses thus causing more sunburns?

I for one am beginning to believe that my energy issues are a lack of vitamin D and sunlight problem. I thought it was just gluten intolerance but I think tomorrow I may go tanning and see if it helps......

re: Scientists Admit -- Sun Exposure Benefits Outweigh Risks

NLB7 — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 16:08:31 GMT

I grew up on a farm and have had more than my share of sun exposure. However, I believe that it is more important to be careful about what you eat than worry about sun exposure. Are there any trusted sun screens / blocks on the market?

re: Scientists Admit -- Sun Exposure Benefits Outweigh Risks

Turmeric — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 12:56:37 GMT

In the UK the incidence of MS is said to increase northwards. That is, less sunlight, more MS. Another study found more sunlight results in less myopia. Studies of population movements also show this trend.

O. mentions Dr Marshall's Protocol. Normally, vitamin D protects us from infection, so it is vitally important. However, the immune response to an established infection causes inflammation. This inflammation, if excessive, can prevent the destruction of the invasive organism. (I had something similar once). So reducing vitamin D, suppresses the immune system, thus reducing the inflammation and allowing the antibiotics to target the infection.

It is used in cases of diseases such as Ankylosing Spondylitis.

re: Scientists Admit -- Sun Exposure Benefits Outweigh Risks

CJP_203 — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 10:13:57 GMT

I find this article very confusing. If vitamin D protects us from cancer developing, as Dr Mercola claims, why is it that "rates of major cancers such as colon, lung, breast and prostate increased from north to south" i.e. the more we are exposed to sunshine the more likely we are to develop cancer!

re: Scientists Admit -- Sun Exposure Benefits Outweigh Risks

bubbie — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 02:09:13 GMT

I hate the sun and always have. I moved from Chicago to a Mediteranean climate and find it nearly intolerable. I am now visiting in Tennessee and the sub-freezing temps and wintry sun make me one happy camper.

re: Scientists Admit -- Sun Exposure Benefits Outweigh Risks

O. — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 00:53:03 GMT

As a Devil's advocate, I would like to point out that there is strong and abundant genomic evidence that sunshine and vitamin D is harmful to the immune system! Yes, this goes against much epidemiological evidence, but it is very well grounded in science. And yet this genomic evidence is ignored by the medical community.

Personally, I am following the procedures outlined at marshallprotocol.com, and have stopped cold the progress of my chronic Lyme neuroborreliosis (after intensive iv antibiotic treatment for 18 months had failed). Dr.Marshall's protocol requires reducing the vitamin D level to a fraction of the normal. This reduction and other measures reactivate the VDR (vitamin D receptor), which in turn activates genes that produce anti-microbial peptides and other immunity factors.

re: Scientists Admit -- Sun Exposure Benefits Outweigh Risks

subirous — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 21:24:41 GMT

This past summer was the first summer I spent anytime in the sun. I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1998 and was told to avoid heat as it would weaken me. WELL, since I started reading Dr. Mercola's site, I take absolutely no MS meds, live a healthy life, and have learned that the outdoors make me feel a lot healthier than hiding indoors. Moderate sun exposure really made a difference for me. And by the way, I have no MS symptoms anymore and my friends in our local MS Support group, are beginning to see that there may be other options available.

re: Scientists Admit -- Sun Exposure Benefits Outweigh Risks

misslizzy — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 20:16:52 GMT

I live in Ireland where the sun is oft' discussed but mostly absent. I have moderately fair skin and for most of my life I have kept arms and legs covered on those rare hot days.

Funnily enough, as a child, my father always warned me not to use suncream and just to make sure I didn't get burned by wearing hats and long sleeves, etc. He used to say that the burning might just be a warning sign that your skin was being damaged and that suncream might only block the warning and permit the damage. It would seem now he may have been right all these years.

Anyway, it was after reading Dr M's a few years ago advice that I decided to shed some clothes in the sun when the opportunity arises. I'm still careful to try to avoid burning and have definitely noticed that taking Omega 3 supplements and other antioxidants help with this.

Vivienne Westwood (UK clothes designer for those who don't know her) has enthused about the effect of apple cider vinegar in easing the pain of sunburn, when applied directly. She also wondered why no one had investigated this but we probably know the answer to this. I can confirm that balsamic vinegar does nothing to help the pain of sunburn! Apple cider vinegar is supposed to rebalance the skin's pH, I believe.

Apart from the odd bit of sunburn, I'm loving the sun. Moderate exposure definitely makes you feel fantastic. Missing that feeling at the moment.

Another thing that I find is a really good natural sunblock alternative, now that I think of it, is emu oil. Yes, emu, the bird. Australian readers will know the stuff. It's got all the omegas even omega 7 - not even sure what that does, but I thought it sounded impressive. Emu Spirit is a good brand. Dr Mercola, it might be a good product to investigate. You can take it internally or apply topically. My husband finds it really good for arthritis pains which are the result of an injury. I find it great on my skin. Lots of the new luxury face creams list it as an ingredient.

re: Scientists Admit -- Sun Exposure Benefits Outweigh Risks

zmyr88 — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 18:37:00 GMT

re-read the article folks, ""Meanwhile, rates of major cancers such as colon, lung, breast and prostate increased from north to south, while survival rates decreased from north to south.""

means: cancer diganosis went up, and survival went down!!! the yahoo article says the same, as well,

the cited study says increase in cancer, increase in survival. your article does not say that. it implies worst all around.

what we need to do, if we assume the study is right, is whether more people lived (cancer or not) than those with less sun. since it does not matter if more sun = more survival if, it causes more cancer than if you were't exposed at all. (a false blessing)