Sunshine, an essential part of good health
Everyone knows that taking the right vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, along with a healthy diet and daily exercise can keep your body healthy and strong. But most people don't know that sunshine is an essential part of good health as well. So why is it that everyone says that staying out in the sun is bad for your health? Let's take a closer look at what the sun can really do to and for our bodies.
The bad news
Yes it's true, that we have all been told to stay out of the sun because the harmful UV rays can cause premature aging, skin cancer, and can damage our sensitive skin. No one should underestimate the danger of too much or over exposure to the sun. Enough people die in one year due to skin cancer than you're probably aware of and skin cancer rates are increasing faster than any other type of cancer out there. There are two major types of skin cancer:
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- Basal cell carcinoma: This is the most common type of skin cancer and can easily be treated; also not life threatening
- Malignant melanoma: This type of skin cancer is the one that should concern you as well as many others who spend way too much time in the sun. Unless it is caught in its early stages it can turn deadly and take a life.
- It is the ultraviolet rays of the sunlight that do the most harm, so naturally the solution is to cover up or just stay out of the sun all together right? The only problem with that, is that the sunshine provides us with a very important vitamin our skin needs; vitamin D.
Why we need vitamin D
With all the other vitamins our body gets, why would a shortage of vitamin D be such a big deal? The truth is, vitamin D helps the metabolism of calcium in the body so it is actually essential to healthy bones and teeth. Without vitamin D our bodies become more prone to things like osteoporosis or rickets; diseases where our bones become brittle and you become at more risk for breaking them. New research has also discovered that vitamin is essential for other metabolic processes in the body that can help protect you from other forms of cancer, diabetes, and even multiple sclerosis.
Of course there are other ways to get your share of vitamin D. You can find foods that also have vitamin D in them like fish oils, eggs, and meat fat are some examples of places to find vitamin D and use it in your diet. But vitamin D in your diet alone is not going to be sufficient enough to keep your teeth and bones healthy and strong. In fact it's almost impossible to get enough vitamin D through foods alone. This is why sunshine is such an essential part of good health.
Sunshine and vitamin D
Now that you know that getting in the sun can be great for your body doesn't give you an excuse to throw on the swimsuit all day long and get a good sunburn. It does however give you more reason to get out and into the sun with a good sunscreen. It only takes about 10 minutes during the summer months, dressed in normal clothes, and slightly longer during the winter months. Be smart about how you get your daily dose of the sun; stay out of the rays during the hottest parts of the day, wear a good sunscreen, and protect your skin from harmful UV rays. Sunshine is an essential part of good health so spend some time outdoors and get your dose of much needed vitamin D.
