Dear Reader,
I’ve been talking lately about the many health benefits of spending time outside in Nature.
Just last week we discussed how getting outside more can really boost your mental health.
And now—a new study shows that spending more time in the great outdoors may help protect women from developing this type of cancer in older age.
I’ll tell you all about that exciting research in just a moment. First, let’s recap all the benefits of Nature on our health…
Spending time in the sun works wonders
About 30 years ago, dermatologists started trying to convince everyone to stay out of the sun because of misconstrued concerns about skin cancer.
But as I’ve explained many times, 91 percent of skin “cancers” grow on the surface of the skin. When you treat them, they do NOT invade. They do NOT metastasize. And they do NOT kill the patient. Some experts don’t think we should even call them “cancer” at all.
Plus, studies show that people with more regular sun exposure tend to develop LESS melanoma, the one truly deadly form of skin cancer. Or, if they do develop melanoma, it tends to be much less aggressive compared to those with melanoma who spend little time in the sun.
Let’s also not forget about all the good science showing that people with more “sun time” have better health overall…
In fact, some years ago, I reported that people who live in Amish communities and spend a lot of time working outside have among the best health of any group in the U.S. (They also enjoy a diet that goes against all the old government dietary recommendations that were all wrong, all along.)
Of course, when you work outside, you get more healthy sun exposure than someone with a typical desk job. And that simple fact most certainly plays a role in the new study, because, as you know, healthy sun exposure triggers your skin’s natural production of the all-important vitamin D…
A 17 percent lower risk of breast cancer
Researchers with the University of Copenhagen and from the Danish Cancer Society looked at the connection between workplace exposure to sunshine and breast cancer risk in women.
First, they identified almost 40,000 women under the age of 70 who had been diagnosed with breast cancer in the Danish Cancer Registry.
Then, they compared each of those women with five cancer-free women, who acted as controls.
Last, they assessed all the women’s sun exposure over 20 years based on their occupation. And here’s what they found…
After taking into account influential factors like reproductive history, the women who had long-term sun exposure in the workplace for 20 or more years had an impressive 17 percent lower risk of breast cancer.
Now, take heart.
If you’re a woman who works indoors at a desk, you can still find ways to increase your vitamin D levels. You can start by following these three steps:
- Spend at least 15 minutes a day in the sun without sunscreen, especially at this time of year. You can slowly add more time each day. But when you’ll be outside longer, wear protective clothing, a hat, and sunglasses.
- Ask your doctor to check your vitamin D levels twice a year—once toward the end of winter and again toward the end of summer. Ask for a simple blood test called the 25(OH)D (25-hydroxy vitamin D) test. (Remember, optimal blood levels are between 50 and 75 ng/mL.) Then, supplement accordingly. I often find that a daily dose of 250 mcg (10,000 IU) of vitamin D3, year-round, is best to maintain optimal blood levels.
- Learn more about proper—and safe—vitamin D supplementation by referencing my archives and especially the June 2021 issue of my monthly Insiders’ Cures newsletter. Not yet a subscriber? Click here to become one.