UV Rays

UV rays seem to be a cause of controversy.

Dr. Holick, a vitamin D expert advocates exposure to the sun without using sunscreen for a short period of time.

Dermatologists, on the other hand, warn about the risk of developing skin cancer.

I am not a physician and can only air my…not so humble…opinions:

Being exposed to the sun for hours at a time, without any protection, is asking for trouble.  I do believe the sun’s rays can be very beneficial when we expose ourselves to them with moderation.  We do need the direct sun rays in order for vitamin D to develop. As I mentioned in my last post we only need to expose 10% of our body to the sun for around 6 – 10 minutes three times a week.

And the exposure we need also depends on our pigmentation. For instance, African Americans have a natural protection that enables them to stay in the sun longer without dire consequences. And, because of heir deep pigmentation they also need more time in the sun in order to develop that much needed Vitamin D.

I’m sure Dermatologists see a lot of skin cancer.  But I suspect they find this cancer in people who are exposed to the sun’s ultra violet rays for long periods of time repeatedly.

Sure, we can take supplements. But why not get our vitamin D right from the source?

I’m a Senior Citizen. In my golden years, as they are called. Yea, right! And my gold seems to have a tendency to end up at our pharmacy.  Our pharmacist is a very nice, helpful man and I do not begrudge him the money we pay him. Besides, we have a decent insurance for our medications.

To be truthful it’s my husband that takes all the prescription medications. I’ve given up on them and went “natural.”

What bothers me is the fact most of the money ends up at the pharmaceutical companies. The less sun we expose ourselves to the more money these companies make, selling supplements.

Of course, now I am old, dignified and wise I make up my own mind in these matters. In my opinion our society is becoming too alarmist.  Everything is either very good for you or it’s terrible. There doesn’t seem to be any “in between” anymore.

I have my “sunbath” in the morning hours when the sun isn’t quite that hot.

And to tell you the truth I hardly ever have used sunscreen during my entire life. I do now, when I think of it. Hubby and I used to spend our winters in Yuma/Az , parading as”Snow Birds”  Every year from Oct. till April for 5 years. We used to buy sunscreen but always seemed to forget to put it on.  Maybe we’re lucky and are not predisposed to getting skin cancer. Maybe it will show up yet, some day.

I really think we should be able to benefit from the advantages of the UV rays and also protect ourselves from the risks they pose.  Just follow Dr. Holick’s suggestion and after that put on the sunscreen.