The Sunshine Vitamin

"This sun-phobic atmosphere has been promoted for so long. But the abstinence recommendation of not being exposed to one direct ray of sunlight for your entire life defies good logic."
"There is good evidence that the lower the latitude that you live [in the Northern Hemisphere], the lower your risk for high blood pressure, having a heart attack, multiple sclerosis, Type I diabetes, infectious diseases, cognitive dysfunction, and the list goes on."
"You essentially [your body] make no vitamin D before 9 a.m. and after 4 p.m. or 5 p.m., even if  you're at the equator with the sun shining brightly."
"Its just like everything else in life. You have to do it [exposure to the sun's rays] in moderation. And you need to understand the consequences of what you're doing."
Dr. Michael Holick, endocrinologist, Boston University Medical Center

For decades medical authorities have been warning people to stay out of the sun; have no direct sun contact, use Vitamin D supplements to obtain the requisite daily Vitamin D. At one time people were regularly exposed to direct sunlight throughout the course of their daily lives. The Industrial Revolution had the increasing effect of producing soot and smog and before long city landscapes were clouded with particulate matter to the extent that little sunlight penetrated. Children began presenting with rickets, and doctors across the Western world realized that lack of sun had warped growing bones.

The curative powers of the sun and of fresh air were noted by the ancients. The father of medicine, Hippocrates, treated various ailments with a regimen of direct sun exposure. In the late 19th Century, sunshine was prescribed as a treatment for tuberculosis, among other diseases. More latterly, the risk of skin cancer has led the medical community to warn people of the risks inherent in direct, prolonged exposure to the sun. But the key here is 'prolonged' exposure, not limited exposure. Any kind of exposure, however brief, was decried as too risky.

But although Vitamin D has been industrially added as a vital supplement to all manner of foods, most notably dairy products, research reveals that there are a myriad of benefits derived from direct sun exposure. Chemical changes occur when photons in sun penetration of the skin  takes place. The sun influences the creation of nitric oxide, causing blood vessels to relax, lowering blood pressure. Skin cells stimulated by UV radiation produce other hormones to modulate the immune system, and to produce beta-endorphin, making us feel good in sunlight.

Dr. Holick, specializing in vitamin D, sees the value in supplementation, but he also stresses that sun exposure is a requirement for optimum health outcomes. He explains that avoiding the sun may raise risk of other diseases like breast cancer, heart disease and colon cancer. His book, The UV Advantage: The Medical Breakthrough That Shows How to Harness the Power of the Sun for Your Health, recommends people receive five to ten minutes of direct exposure to the sun at least two to three times weekly.

He is a professor of medicine, physiology and biophysics at Boston University. And he also acts as the director of the Heliotherapy, Light, and Skin Research Center at the medical centre of the university. Many of his colleagues, long accustomed to warning patients off sun exposure under the fear that even minute exposure can damage DNA are yet to accept Dr. Holick's arguments fully.

A study out of the UK where light-skinned people were exposed to simulated sunlight produced an interesting effect. "There was some DNA damage, but what was remarkable was that at the end of the study, it looked like there were mechanisms at play to help correct the DNA damage", Dr. Holick pointed out.

Two studies from the Journal of the National Cancer Institute reported that those with daily sun exposure experienced a lower risk of non-Hodgkins' lymphoma. As well, survival rates were increased for patients with early-stage melanoma.

Even while the sun is associated with damage to the epidermis, small doses in exposure appear to effectively heal skin problems, as Dr. Bobby Buka, a dermatologist in New York points out. Inflammatory skin conditions like psoriasis, eczema and acne can be seen to improve when people are exposed to UV radiation for limited periods of time.