Sunshine and Cancer

A thoughtful reader, Charles Dewitt, tipped me off on a subject he's been researching: the relationship between sunlight and cancer.  It's a given that our Stone Age ancestors spent much more time in the sun that we did, and that genetically, our bodies "expect" daily sunlight exposure.

Some research last year showed that sunshine is indeed a necessary ingredient for good health.  One part of the article that jumped out for me is cancer rates in the Northeastern United States, where people get less sunlight, are higher than in areas where people get sunb year-round.  This makes me glad I left Ohio!

Another cautionary note is that Vitamin D gets trapped in fat, so that obese people have lower levels of Vitamin D, and hence, higher rates of cancer.  This is just one more of the thousands of reasons to stay in shape.

And what about wearing sunblock?  Other research shows that sunblock "is no protection against cancer."  This is because it can stop burning, but not effectively filter out the harmful UVA rays.  In sum, it makes sense to regulate sunshine the natural way - get as much as you can without getting burnt.