Throughout most of human history, we’ve regarded sun exposure as beneficial to our overall health and well-being. Indeed, a natural glow on the skin has always been considered a sign of good health.
But in the late 20th century, dermatologists began to argue that we should avoid the sun to reduce skin cancer risk.
Of course, we now know that advice was all wrong, all along. Not only does sun exposure actually reduce your risk of the one deadly form of skin cancer (as I’ll explain in a moment), it also has five other key benefits.
But before we get into those benefits, let’s look at how sun exposure may be a key to an even more urgent problem: controlling the coronavirus…
Let the sun shine in
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to drag on, there are two big findings that the mainstream media and the crony corporatist medical establishment have failed to talk about. And both relate to sunshine…
First, as I reported back in May, exposure to strong sunshine triggers your skin’s natural production of vitamin D, which is perhaps the No. 1 nutrient you need to build a strong, balanced immune system. And, of course, a healthy immune system is the key to fighting off any virus, including coronavirus.
The second recent finding involves using sunlight as a disinfectant…
As you’ll recall, studies show that ultraviolet (UV) rays destroy the genetic material of many types of viruses. (This certainly helps explain why seasonal pandemics of colds and flus always subside in summer.)
Plus, more recent studies show that UV rays destroy previous versions of the coronavirus. And, according to the National Academy of Sciences, it “probably” even kills the “novel” coronavirus (COVID-19).
So, in my view, keeping people inside closed, dark houses is not exactly the “safest”—or most effective—way to contain the coronavirus.
Sunshine is beneficial for many reasons
Now—as I just mentioned, getting out regularly in the sunshine has many other health benefits beyond protection against the coronavirus. In fact, sunshine…
1.) Protects against deadly melanoma skin cancer. As I’ve reported before, the skin benefits from regular sun exposure, just like the rest of the body.
For one, by triggering your skin’s natural production of vitamin D, sun exposure can actually decrease DNA damage in skin cells, facilitate repair of any DNA damage, and prevent skin cell death.
This self-correcting process actually protects you against malignant melanoma—the one deadly form of skin cancer! In fact, people with higher vitamin D levels run a much lower risk of developing melanoma compared to those with insufficient or deficient levels. Plus, even if they do develop it, the tumors are much less aggressive than in people with lower vitamin D levels.
Healthy sun exposure also increases skin pigmentation—which gives you a healthy tan and protects the deeper layers of tissues.
2.) Helps to naturally reduce blood pressure. Exposure to strong sunlight also induces production of nitric oxide (NO), which helps lower blood pressure and enhances circulation to the heart muscle. NO also plays a role in immune health—as it has antimicrobial properties, anti-cancer effects, and neurological support.
3.) Improves your quality of sleep and mood. Studies show spending time in direct sunlight, especially first thing in the morning, helps to set your circadian rhythm so that you’re wakeful during the day and sleepy at night. Sun exposure also boosts serotonin and beta-endorphins in the brain, which support mood, relaxation, and stress reduction.
So, I suggest enjoying your morning coffee outside. Not only will it help perk you up during the day…but you may also find yourself feeling sleepier and more relaxed once the sun goes down! (Tune back in tomorrow for more recommendations about how to improve sleep.)
4.) Reduces chronic disease risk. Studies show achieving optimal blood levels of vitamin D protects you against developing just about every chronic disease on the planet—including arthritis, dementia, diabetes, heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease, lupus, multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, Sjogren’s syndrome, rickets, and tuberculosis.
Supplementing with vitamin D is necessary for most people
I always recommend spending 10 to 15 minutes outside in the sun per day—with as much skin exposed as possible and without toxic sunscreen. But, unfortunately, most people can’t achieve and maintain optimal vitamin D blood levels year-round by simply doing just that. And most of the time, this fact probably relates to the strength of the sun’s rays where you live…
For example, between October and April each year, in latitudes north of Atlanta in the east and Los Angeles in the west, the sun doesn’t get high enough in the sky to activate your skin’s production of vitamin D.
So, I suppose, as Jimmy Buffet sang in his 1977 breakthrough album, there are “changes in latitudes, and changes in attitudes.”
I actually I ran into Jimmy, together with Paul McCartney, in St. Bart’s last February, just before the pandemic. Perhaps, like me, they were down there getting some healthy sun exposure!
Of course, unless you’re fortunate enough to live year-round in St. Bart’s (or another island near the equator), you probably still need to supplement daily with 10,000 IU of vitamin D. And don’t worry about taking “too much” vitamin D, even in the summer, as your body knows how to regulate blood levels by simply producing less in the skin upon exposure to the sun.
In the end, make sure to ask your doctor to check your vitamin D blood levels twice a year, once at the end of summer and once at the end of winter, to see where you stand. The optimal range is range 50 to 60 nanograms/milliliter (ng/mL).
In addition, you can learn more about my top immune health recommendations in my Pandemic Protection Playbook: How to become “immune ready” in every season. To gain access this essential guide, click here now!
Source:
“Does ultraviolet light kill the coronavirus?” The National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, accessed 5/6/20. (sites.nationalacademies.org/BasedOnScience/covid-19-does-ultraviolet-light-kill-the-coronavirus/index.htm)