We are constantly told that sun exposure is a horrible thing that causes cancer so as soon as that beautiful summer approaches you need to slather yourself with sunscreen everywhere that your skin is exposed to it. Sun is bad? Sun is the only way our body is able to get Vitamin D which is actually not even a vitamin but a hormone which is essential to your bone and endocrine health. Sun boosts our mood, improves skin conditions like psoriasis, eczema, jaundice and acre. It’s also been linked to potentially help with rheumatoid arthritis and some thyroid conditions. Additionally, sun therapy is extremely beneficial for those fighting respiratory infections.
Now let’s take a look at sunscreens. There are 17 ingredients in sunscreens and 9 of them are known endocrine disruptors. These chemicals prevent Vitamin D absorption and they don’t just sit on your skin, they are soaked into your bloodstream where they wreak havoc by interfering with the normal hormone function resulting in infertility and low sperm count just to name a few. It only gets worse. Some actually generate “free radicals” which can lead to cancer. So the very thing they are supposed to prevent they actually cause.
So what’s the moral of the story? I think this really boils down to being responsible. Don’t cook yourself in the sun for 10 hours. Of course it’s not a good idea and there’s no amount of magic cream that will make it ok. And taking a chemical bath is a sure way to give yourself a whole slew of health issues. Sun, if used in moderation, can be a great part of your overall healthy life.