It’s a cold, wet, miserable winter’s day in Melbourne as a write this post. The warmth of the sunshine is but a distant memory. They say that the unconscious mind doesn’t know the difference between real and imagined experiences and studies have demonstrated that imagined events can produce the same physical response in the body as real events. So as far as my unconscious mind and body are aware, I’m currently basking myself in the magnificence of the sun’s rays on a tropical beach. I’ll throw a cocktail in for good measure too!
For me the sun has always been something to be worshipped; a source of energy and sustenance. If ever I’m feeling sad, run down or unwell the sun is the perfect antidote. It intrinsically feels nurturing and good. Of course it doesn’t feel so good to overdo things and end up like a lobster, however in moderation, there is nothing better than a good dose of sunshine.
Whilst well intentioned, it gets me so mad to see advertising campaigns, medical practitioners and anti-cancer advocates telling people to avoid the sun. The sun is not inherently bad for us. Life is absolutely dependent on sunshine, as it has been for thousands of years. So is our health and wellbeing.
The sun is a vital source of vitamin D. According to an article featured in Medical News Today vitamin D:
- Is essential for the absorption and metabolism of calcium and phosphorous, necessary for healthy strong bones.
- Is an immune system regulator, helping increase white blood cell count and empower our immune system to protect us from illnesses ranging from the common cold to cancer (yes, the sun can actually help prevent and cure cancer, not cause it!! Various studies have shown that people with adequate levels of vitamin D have a significantly lower risk of developing cancer, compared to people with lower levels. Vitamin D deficiency was found to be prevalent in cancer patients regardless of nutritional status, in a study carried out by Cancer Treatment Centers of America)
- May reduce the risk of developing multiple sclerosis
- Helps the brain keep functioning well later in life
- Helps maintain a healthy body weight
- Can reduce the severity and frequency of asthma symptoms
- Reduces the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis
- Protects the body from damage by low-level radiation.
Other studies such as those cited by Dr Mercola, have linked vitamin D to helping reduce heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease and diabetes.
Those are just some of the physical health benefits associated with vitamin D, not to mention the emotional benefits of sunshine. How deliciously nourishing does it feel for your soul to be warmed with the glow of the sun? To feel it’s beautiful rays beam brightly upon your skin? The beauty and warmth of a blue-skied sunny day is enough to put anyone in a better mood. There are countless studies that show the link between positive emotions and enhanced levels of health and wellbeing.
So why do we give sun such a bad wrap? Well it’s certainly undeniable that there has been in increased incidence of skin cancer in recent years. For example, according to the Cancer Council Australia “the rate of melanoma incidence in women has risen by an average of 0.7% a year between 1993 and 2003 – a total increase of 6.8% over this decade. For men, the rate has risen by 1.7% a year, a total of 18.7% over the same period.”
My question… Is it the sun that’s causing an increase in skin cancer? Or is it other lifestyle factors? I am a passionate believer in the latter. Fundamentally the sun has not significantly changed its properties in thousands of years. Nor have we started spending significantly more time outdoors. If anything, we’ve become more housebound, spending more time in front of the television and the computer. Yet our skin cancer rate is increasing.
Yes, there is scientific evidence to suggest that the ozone layer is depleting, which could explain an increase in skin cancer rates. However, what is more alarming to me is that in the last few decades we have become much more reliant on highly processed and convenience foods in place of fresh fruit and vegetables. We have also started using many more chemicals in our farming and manufacturing processes.
This is concerning for two reasons. Firstly, a diet of fresh fruit and vegetables has been scientifically proven to significantly reduce the risk of all types of cancer, yet the general population is not consuming enough of these healthy foods. Secondly, we are ingesting large amounts of artificial and potentially toxic chemicals in the processed foods we eat (and even in the non-organic fresh foods). What happens when we go into the sun? We usually sweat. What do we sweat out? Toxins and other chemicals. We can end up with a toxic cocktail on the surface of our skin, which is heated further by the sun. Is it any wonder we are seeing an increase in skin cancer!!!
We don’t stop there though! Many of us also cover our bodies with cosmetics and beauty creams that contain additional chemicals and toxins, such as parabens, a family of preservatives that are found in many pharmaceutical and personal care products (and foods!!). Parabens have been directly linked to certain types of cancer including breast and skin cancer.
Many sunscreens also contain parabens or other potentially cancer-causing toxic chemicals such as artificial fragrance, chemical colours and petroleum products used as fillers and stabilisers. These chemicals can react with the sun on our skin, or be absorbed through the skin into the blood stream. So the very thing we’re using to help prevent skin cancer may well actually be contributing to skin cancer and other types of cancers. This is certainly the belief of Tyler Tolman, an advocate for healthy living.
As well as containing harmful chemicals, sunscreen blocks the skin from absorbing the sun’s rays and therefore, also blocks the creation of essential vitamin D. In order to absorb enough vitamin D for a positive effect on our health we need direct sun exposure without sunscreen; something the majority of the population no longer gets enough of. We have been scare-mongered into believing we need to cover ourselves from head to toe before we even set foot in the sun. Now we are faced with a population that is significantly vitamin D deficient. In fact, research shows that 60 percent of the global population is vitamin D deficient, with 25 percent severely deficient.
I’m not advocating spending hours in the sun cooking ourselves like rotisserie chickens (I do confess I have inadvertently done this on several occasions in my life with way less than optimal consequences). That can potentially lead to skin cancer and most certainly lead to skin damage and no one wants fine lines and wrinkles! I am however, passionate that sunshine is healthy and vital in moderation. Dr Mercola recommends 10-15 minutes of unprotected sun exposure per day. I am also passionate about the importance of limiting our usage of chemical-laden beauty creams and sunscreens (cover up with natural preservative-free sunscreen, clothes, hat and/or shade after sufficient unprotected sun exposure), reducing our intake of processed foods and increasing our intake of fresh, natural, organic wholefoods.
Until the sun starts shining in the southern hemisphere again I will just have to continue with my visualization on the couch!
