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.

It develops in the skin as it is exposed to the sun.  This vitmin is crucial because it helps the digestive system to absorb calcium. Calcium, in turn, is essential if you want healthy and strong bones.

This sounds quite simple and straightforward, right? Actually it is quite a complex process. The vitamin will be carried and dropped off at the liver by the blood stream.  The liver will modify and hydroxilate it. Hydroxilating is  getting it activated, so to speak. And we now have 25 hydroxy vitamin D.

From the liver the blood stream will carry it to the kidneys. When it arrives there it will be modified again and reactivated as 1,25 -di-hydroxy vitamin D.

And now it is ready to help the intestines to absorb calcium,  keep the blood calcium level normal and make sure enough calcium is taken to the bones to keep them strong.

The 125- di-hydroxy vitamin D that leaves the kidneys is the active form of this vitamin Dr. Michael Holick and a colleague were the first doctors who isolated and identified this active form of the vitamin and chemically synthesized it. It is used for treating bone disease that is associated with kidney failure.

This chemically synthesized vitamin can only be obtained by getting a prescription and can either be taken orally or by injection.

The optimal dosage per day would be 1000-IU. And the best way to get this dosage would really be to spend time in the sun.

There are very few foods that can supply us with vitamin D. Fatty fish such as Salmon, mackerel etc. will supply a limited amount of vitamin D but you would have to eat it anywhere from 3 to 5 times a week. I don’t know if fish oil capsules will provide any of this vitamin.

We can also get some vitamin D by drinking orange juice or/and milk. But an 8 oz. glass might have maybe 100 IU and we might have to drink 10 glasses a day.

But the best way to get the 1000 IU of this vitamin is still exposure to the sun. Yes, I know the skin cancer scare and the warnings.  We lather ourselves with sun screen which prevents the vitamin D to develop.

All we really need is to expose 10% of our body…maybe just face, arms and legs… to direct sun for about 6 minutes three times a week. After the 6 minutes we can use the sun screen. If we can convince ourselves to do that we will get the proper amounts of this essential vitamin and even be able to store  some of it for the winter months.  We need this sun exposure in the Spring and Summer when the rays are strong enough.

African Americans have a deeper skin pigmentation and will need longer exposure. On the other hand they also have more natural protection than their Caucasian counterparts.  I’m not 100% sure but i think that African Americans need ten times the exposure that Caucasians need. But, of course, they also have ten more times natural protection.

Dr. Michael Holick wrote a book: “The UVAdvantage”. It’s about the way to let the sun help us in a safe way. At the end of this book he has a list, or table, explaining exactly how long a person can safely be exposed to the sun, depending on his/her complexion, where in the world he/she lives and all other important information.

I’m not an Affiliate for the book but will give you the “UVAdvantage” Webvsite URL where you can buy it. I don’t make any money out of it and nobody will pressure you:http://www.uvadvantage.org

Enjoy!