Sunshine is abundant in the Philippines, all year round! Take advantage of it.
Read what Dr. Tim Reynolds says about sunshine and vitamin D.
You are My Sunshine
By: Dr. Tim Reynolds
Can you imagine going through life trying to help people, only to be labeled with a bad wrap you do not really deserve? Vitamin D and sunshine have faced this challenge for years. For starters, Vitamin D does not even have an accurate name. Did you know vitamin D is not technically a vitamin, yet it plays a very crucial role in your body’s health?
Unfortunately, the majority of Americans are vitamin D deficient. The good news is you do not have to be. Getting plenty of vitamin D is as easy as spending time on the beach, laying out by the pool, or simply enjoying a hike in the great outdoors. The sun is your skin’s best friend. Simply spending 20 to 30 minutes in the summer sun allows your body to produce 50 times more vitamin D than the U.S. government’s daily recommendation. It would take almost 100 glasses of fortified milk, or 20 multivitamin tablets to get your body this same amount of vitamin D.
Many people would disagree with my statement that the sun is your skin’s best friend. But our genes have spent millions of years developing a complicated system that amazingly converts the sun’s rays into vitamin D, something our genes need. But this hormone never makes the news. Instead, you constantly hear about the dangers of skin cancer with prolonged sun exposure.
Skin cancer essentially comes in three forms: squamous cell carcinomas, basal cell carcinomas, and melanomas. The first two types are fairly easy to diagnose and easy to treat when caught early. Melanoma, however, is the skin cancer that kills. It is a dangerous form of skin cancer and should not be taken lightly. But it is also important to note there is little evidence that melanomas are caused from sun exposure. In fact, many melanomas are found in areas that never receive sun, like the mouth. Additionally, melanomas are found less frequently in workers who spend the majority of their time in the sun and more frequently in office workers who spend most of their time indoors. Studies are now showing that what you put in your body in the way of preservatives, artificial sweeteners and other artificially man-made products may be much more of a contributing factor to melanoma than sun exposure.
Another misconception about sun safety is the use of sunscreens. Have you ever looked at the ingredient list on the back of your sunscreen? Most sunscreens contain ingredients you cannot even pronounce, and my guess is you probably are not aware of what they might do to your body. If this comes as a surprise to you, you are not alone. The sun block industry is a $5 billion a year industry on a mission to convince you to lather yourself with their products. In addition to not telling you the truth about what the ingredients in their products may do to your body, sunscreen companies also hide a very important fact. Any sunscreen with an SPF higher than eight will block 95 percent of the sun’s healing vitamin D producing powers.
At this point you may be wondering what you should do now to ensure your body gets the vitamin D it needs. I believe the best strategy is for you to get a moderate amount (20 minutes) of sun everyday. They key is to never allow your skin to get a sunburn. This allows your body to get the vitamin D it needs without risking the harmful effects of the sun. In addition, it will add a glow to your skin, making you look and feel healthier. If you are going to be outside for prolonged periods of time, consider a zinc oxide sunscreen that is not made from carcinogens.
The sun is one of your greatest allies. As kids, we all wanted to spend time outside because we felt better after a day in the sun. As adults, we still feel better in the sunshine! The sun gives you more energy and makes you feel healthier. If you want to avoid illnesses, stop depression, and just feel better overall, getting enough Vitamin D is a great starting point.
[Ed. Note: To get more great
tips on how to live a healthy lifestyle, check out Dr. Tim's new book, The
Green Beret Doctor's Health Plan for Life
