The many health benefits of soaking up the sun

Soak up the sun – that’s your new prescription for good health.

The huge increase in skin cancer incidence over the past 20 years has made the sun more foe than friend; yet, avoiding it completely could also put our health at risk. Sunlight on the skin activates the production of Vitamin D, the UVB rays in it help reduce blood pressure and cholesterol. It also prevents acne as the sun encourages the skin to shed its outer layers where dirt and bacteria clog pores.

STRONG BONES AND TEETH

Sunshine is a vital source of Vitamin D as the average diet provides only a quarter of the amount we need, derived mainly from oily fish and a synthetic form found in fortified margarines and milk. A poor intake of Vitamin D can put us at the risk of developing osteoporosis. Vitamin D helps the body to absorb calcium from food, which builds bone mass and protects against osteoporosis.

Vitamin D is also vital for healthy teeth. A study carried out in the US revealed that teenagers living in sunny areas have 66% fewer cavities than those from cooler climes.

CANCER PREVENTION

Avoiding the sun helps prevent skin cancer, but not internal cancers. In countries far from the equator, such as Britain and Canada, people have 150 per cent higher death rate from internal cancers than those who live in places nearer to the equator, such as Mexico and India. Cancer is caused when damage to DNA leads to uncontrolled cell division, and it is Vitamin D that can stop cells from multiplying.

Exposure to sun also gives significant protection from cancers of the breast, colon and ovary.

HEALTHY HEART

Like cancer, the incidence of heart disease increases with distance from the equator, and more people die from it in the winter months. Sunshine seems to have a number of positive effects on cardiovascular health.

UV radiation reduces blood pressure, while sunlight lowers cholesterol, another contributor to heart disease.

LOWER RISK OF DIABETES AND MS

Sun exposure in early childhood may prevent autoimmune diseases (where the immune system attacks its own cells) like insulin-dependent diabetes and multiple sclerosis (MS). Vitamin D acts as an immunosuppressant. Researchers believe it prevents MS by stimulating the production of chemicals that stop harmful immune cells from invading the brain and spinal cord.

FEEL-GOOD FACTOR

About three per cent of West and North European countries suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)— a temporary depression caused by lack of sunlight. Lack of Vitamin D has been linked to depression, but it’s the actual sunlight that seems to have the greatest effect. It stimulates the production of the feel-good hormone behavior. For a pick-me-up, take a half-hour mid-morning walk.

HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?

– Sunlight is responsible for 80 per cent of visible ageing, and, without a doubt, plays a role in skin cancer. So get your sunshine in moderation.

– Frequent, short exposures of up to half-an-hour work best, although people with darker skin tones need more sunlight to generate Vitamin D.

– The best time to soak up the sun is early morning.

• – If you’re fair-skinned, opt for 10 to 15 minutes, twice a day. Protect the thin, sensitive skin on your face and neck with a hat and sunblock.