For years people have beleived that sun exposure increases the risk of skin cancer. This article I was reading actually says that vitamin D produced by sun exposure actually reduces the risk of cancer. Maybe we should all put the sunscreen away sicne it blocks vitmin D production.
This is good news for someone like me who loves the beach
I`m like you Ed, I LOVE the sun. I noticed this from that report you cited,
Quote:
No one is suggesting that people fry on a beach, but many scientists believe that taking in "safe sun" -- 15 minutes a few times a week without sunscreen -- is a healthy thing to do.
I guess the keyword here is balance. I believe that on Bondi Beach, Australia, the problem with skin cancer is such a problem that they have people going around offering advice, and sun screens too to help bathers appreciate the dangers more fully.
Me- I`m a definite sun worshiper!
Geoff
Posted by: candy
The alternative health community has for some time questioned the validity of the sun causes cancer theory because the reality did not match the lab results in that if the sun was the cause of skin cancer you would expect to find a high rate of skin cancers in people who work out-doors but the reality is that people who habitually work in the sun have some of the lowest rates of cancer. Nice to see the lab rats cathing on.
Vitamin D is also crucial to the assimulation of calcium for strong bones to prevent osteoporosis.
The risk of cancer seems to come more from repeated sunburns than a heathy tan. We tend to forget that the skin is the largest organ of the human body weighing about 6 pounds and having an area of about 20 square feet.
Posted by: candy
I should have included a section on what to do for sunburn. Information that after a day of gardening I definitely need. Please no jokes about the blonde being too dumb to get out of the sun.
The willards water in a spray bottle stored in the refrigerator is my favorite remedy. Aloe juice in a spray bottle kept in the refrigerator is good for immediate relief. The fresh leaf is really great for any burn. Putting a cup of epsom salts in a cool bath then using a lotion containing glycerin topped by a heavy skin protectant like petoleum jelly seems to help the healing process. I usually spray the area with the willards before I put on the lotion. In about 10 days the red will be tan. I have heard of putting wet tea bags on a sunburn so it becomes tan. Honey is said to reduce the risk of scarring from burns.
