The power of sunlight

[banshee]

I wanted to post about this, because last summer I started tanning after reading what the Eades have to say about this and how we shouldn't be as afraid of it as we've been led to believe.

Here's a link from Dr. Mike's blog that quotes the PPLP book about sunlight: http://72.32.36.211/drmike/archives/2005/06/remember_you_he.html

As background, I've never been much for tanning, simply because it takes too long and I never saw any results. No matter how long I stayed in the sun, I didn't tan at all. Silly me - I was lying out there in the sun slathered in sunblock and wondering why I wasn't tanning! Then I broke my ankle right before a trip to Florida. During the trip, I lay out in the sun a lot since I couldn't do much else. I ended up with a nasty rash and had to take some highly addictive steroids to get rid of it. Apparently I had developed an allergy to sunblock - and the one I was using contained all 3 of the major sunblock ingredients, so I didn't know which one was "safe" to use.

That was back in college - since then, I have avoided the sun like the plague since I couldn't use sunblock and I didn't want to burn. After starting PP and reading that sunlight wasn't harmful if done right, I thought I'd try sunning again, doing it very carefully starting with 5 minutes and slowly building up week by week. But of course, I never got very far because I don't have much time to tan during the week, and only tanning outside once or twice on the weekends, assuming the weather cooperated, wasn't enough to do much. But last summer I was more persistant than usual, and actually built up to half an hour (on each side). Doing this, I suddenly noticed that I was sleeping better, but I also started having trouble because the heat of being in the sun for an hour was raising my heart rate to dangerously high levels. (I have tachycardia, and heat is one of my triggers.)

So I decided to bite the bullet and pay for a membership at a tanning salon. Since the bulbs are more intense than sunlight, I could start at only 5 minnutes and get the same amount that I was getting with my hour outside, plus the light was more even and I could do it anytime regardless of the weather. It's been wonderful - I'm sleeping even better tanning 3 times a week spread over the week rather than 2 days on the weekend. And it's also a way for me to relax. I've built up to 10 minutes, and that's where I'm going to stay. More makes my heart rate kick up too much, plus I'm not really doing this to get super dark. I just want to get the health benefits of the sunlight. I also like that having a base tan means I don't have to worry as much about burning when I'm outdoors in the summer.

Since difficulty sleeping was the only thing left over from before PP that hadn't cleared up, it was pretty clear that there was something my body needed that the sunlight was providing. Has anyone else worked on this particular "other 20%" and noticed improvements in health? I was really surprised at how much it helped and how quickly.

[Mitra]

Mary, you're convincing me that I need to give this another go.

My normal response to sunshine is to smear myself with factor 30 sunscreen, wear long sleeves and a hat, and stay inside. But, thanks to my discovery last year that at a certain time of day, I could open the back door and sit or lie in the sun without having to go outside (I'm not much of an outdoors type!) I did manage a few minutes here and there, and actually quite enjoyed it. Between the vagaries of the English weather and my own lack of persistence I didn't do it all that often. I'll have to try again this year. I have fair skin and reddish (though faded a bit these days) hair, so I probably don't need an awful lot of sunlight.

It's too cold at the moment to expose more than hands and face (and some days I'll have gloves, too) but I'll give it a shot when it gets warmer.

I did a post with some references on the benefits of sunshine on the old board last year - I'll have to see if I saved a copy.

[Vivian]

I enjoy using a tanning bed to kick start my summer so I don't get a sunburn. Do tanning beds have the "good" UV light?

[banshee]

Mary, you're convincing me that I need to give this another go.

I have fair skin and reddish (though faded a bit these days) hair, so I probably don't need an awful lot of sunlight.

I did a post with some references on the benefits of sunshine on the old board last year - I'll have to see if I saved a copy.

Mitra - I too have fair skin and lots of red in my hair. That's one of the reasons I'm not trying to get very dark, although even with the little I've gotten, I seem dark to myself. It's strange seeing pictures of myself, because I don't recognize that dark stranger in the pictures! ;) But when I compare myself with someone I consider a "normal" skin color, we're at the same place. I guess when you grow up "whiter than white" any amount of tan seems incredibly dark. :D

My mom always made me put on "just a little blush" in school. On days when I forgot, I would have teachers coming up to me to feel my forhead and ask if I felt sick, because I was so "pale". :p

[banshee]

I should probably mention that it really is preferable to get "natural" sunlight, if you can. I'm sure that the Eades' recommendation is for exposure to natural sunlight. I just know that since I'm never going to go over 10 minutes 2-3 times a week at the tanning salon, the chances of me getting enough exposure to the intense UV lights for it to be harmful are pretty low.

Anyone using tanning salons should be very careful because the beds use mostly UVA. While this type of UV doesn't cause as much burning, it can be just as harmful in large doses. My salon was recommending increasing my exposure by a full minute each time I went in, but instead I only increased my time once a week. I wanted to make sure my skin had a chance to build up the melanin to protect against the higher levels of UV. If I were to go any higher than 10 minutes, I'd probably wait even longer between increases - in my mind it's better to be safe than sorry!

[Gaelen]

Well, the UVA in tanning beds is one of the worst types of ultraviolet exposure you can get. Being exposed to a certain level of natural sunlight (the few minutes recommended in PPLP) is different, far different, from a concentrated effort to get a tan. The Eades' were talking about enjoying natural sunlight...not about the ritual of 'getting a tan,' which can involve literally hours of exposure to get and maintain color (depending on how fair or dark you are naturally.)

As someone recovering from another type of cancer, with fair skin and a family history of malignant melanoma, I spend any extended time in the sun sunblocked, wearing a hat, and protecting my skin. The 'exposure to sunlight' (and by that, the Eades mean natural sunlight, not tanning beds) that I get from being outdoors twice a day walking the dog is plenty. ;) When I go to an all-day outdoor dog show, I wear protective clothing, a hat and bring 50spf (kept on ice in a cooler and reapplied frequently.) YMMV.

Gaelen, another pale and ultra fair-skinned redhead who isn't looking to add malignant melanoma to my current patient chart. ;)

[LisaS]

Have tanning beds gone full-spectrum? Because, it used to be that only UVA was in tanning beds, 'cause those are the tanning wavelengths. However, it is UVB that stimulates Vit D production - so if the tanning bed isn't giving UVB - then it isn't helping with Vit D production - just tanning you with UVA.
Now - a nice base coat might help you keep from burning when you are out in natural sunlight getting your UVB to make Vit D - but then so would natural sunlight.

[mcsblues]

There are a couple of ways to boost your vitamin D levels - particularly in winter and higher latitudes generally that don't involve the sun (although personally I think the dangers of responsible sun exposure are considerably overstated). Cod Liver Oil is one and of course vitamin D supplementation (just make sure it is D3 - Cholecalciferol). In fact as Dr Mike has said more than once the dangers of not getting enough vitamin D are far more serious than the risks of stepping out into the sun a bit more.

This site will give you a lot of info, and there is a free newsletter you can sign up for which will deliver the latest research to your inbox;

http://www.vitamindcouncil.com/index.shtml

[banshee]

Have tanning beds gone full-spectrum? Because, it used to be that only UVA was in tanning beds, 'cause those are the tanning wavelengths. However, it is UVB that stimulates Vit D production - so if the tanning bed isn't giving UVB - then it isn't helping with Vit D production - just tanning you with UVA.
Now - a nice base coat might help you keep from burning when you are out in natural sunlight getting your UVB to make Vit D - but then so would natural sunlight.

Well, I don't know about all tanning salons, but mine does have both types of bulbs. I think they just concentrate it toward the UVA side of things. They actually have a bed that is more UVB than UVA that I use once a week.

I did look at some of the actual scientific studies I could find online regarding the tests on UV exposure, and I couldn't find any that tested people who use tanning beds for short amounts of time. All of the studies I found tested "high exposure", which seems to be in the 15-25 minute range. That's the equivalent to being outdoors for 75-125 minutes. And there were other studies that have proven benefits from using tanning beds, especially for people with psoriasis. Apparently tanning beds are actually used as a treatment to help people with this skin disease! Other tests have found that even beds that are mostly UVA increase serum vit D levels by quite a lot, a result the scientists found surprising. While I understand that most people who use tanning beds try to ramp up their time to get as much exposure and as deep a tan as possibly, I think that there need to be some studies that test people who a) never tanned/rarely burned as children/teens and so don't have that increased risk to contend with and b) use tanning beds at very low exposure levels, much lower than current studies seem to be concerned with.

These studies also say that you shouldn't have ANY sun exposure or tanning bed exposure, that ALL exposure is damaging and you should always use sunblock. The Eades have said that this conclusion isn't true, which makes me wonder how much of the results of these studies we should be taking as gospel.

While I completely agree that natural sunlight is better, it doesn't work so good if you can't be out in it long enough to get the benefits. I can't get the 20 minutes of daily exposure that the Eades recommend. More than about 10 minutes for me on a sunny day and my heart rate is up to 130 bpm and I start to feel dizzy and breathless. I think this is why I've noticed such a dramatic improvement health-wise from the tanning beds. I was probably vit D deficient, and because of my tachycardia, would continue to be because I just can't stay out in the sun long enough.

[Billie]

You know the power of sunlight can do so much. Of course you can almost feel the Vitamin D soaking in your skin on a beautiful sunny day, but there has to be something just to make you feel good all over as well.

Like anything, too much is too much, but the approach like on bright sunny day in Illinois is just too much to pass up---out for a walk I go!

[avnndd]

I was SO glad to read that in the Eadeses' book. I love to get sun on my skin. The one big adjustment I've endeavored to make is to get a more gradual base before long periods of exposure. I unfortunately have been used to getting 2 or 3 REALLY bad sunburns/year in the past. Last year, I had one minor one, and that was about it. And I made sure that I exposed as much as was tasteful to get the full benefits (luckily we live in the country and have a big yard that I can push mow!) It just makes me feel better when I'm warmed by the sun...what can I say?

[banshee]

And I made sure that I exposed as much as was tasteful to get the full benefits (luckily we live in the country and have a big yard that I can push mow!) It just makes me feel better when I'm warmed by the sun...what can I say?

Wait a minute, Aaron... You have a push mower? Doesn't that qualify as... <gasp!> ...exercise?

:p

[avnndd]

Shhh...don't tell Shadow...but, yes, and I actually...brace yourself...enjoy it!!!

[Shadow]

Oh Aaron - I read it right here, straight from the horse's mouth :D!!!!! And I'm gonna remind you come mowing weather :p!

[banshee]

Oops, sorry Aaron! ;)

[Carri]

I've read that our lack of natural sunshine and our obsession with sunblocks are causing a vitamin D deficiency and that sun block actually is the CAUSE of skin cancer! So I take Cod liver oil to get my vitamin D cause the sun doesn't shine a whole lot where I live. I also have read in other nutrition/diet books about getting 20 minutes of morning sun and how good it is for you. I believe it cause why would God give us something that is bad for us? Doesn't fit with my theology.
Cheers, Carri

[Thedabara]

Alright, I am not a red head, nor do I have skin that burns easily. (someday, I'll get a picture posted, I promise). I tan very easily, but haven't burned in years. The only burns i would ever get came from laying on a beach really early in the season on the first HOT day of the spring or summer.....
I love to get sunshine. Even before I read PPLP I rarely used sunblock. In the summer I get plenty of outdoor sunshine, the kids and I swim at the beach and play out in the yard, garden and visit my parents at a lake. It is the winter months that I crave it. Last year we had a sunroom added to our house. We had the choice of low E glass which keeps out the cold more, but also keeps out all the uva and uvb light. We went with old fashoined single pained glass. On a sunny day I can sit in my sun room, or play with the kids in there and get plenty of light. It feels great! I have never noticed any health benefits other than feeling happier in winter. I do also take cod liver oil.
I've only been to a tanning salon once. That was years ago. I just don't like laying down for any amount of time when I am not trying to sleep!
We now have no sunblock in our house. The kids don't wear it, but on really sunny days in the summer they do wear a hat. So far, they have never burned. Personally, I'd rather stay in the shade than put on sunblock.
Jenny

[avnndd]

Shadow...for once, I won't argue with you! I DO like to push mow.

Jenny...usually we don't use sunblock, but unfortunately, it's not a conscious decision...we just are never organized enough to remember it! Maybe it's a blessing to be disorganized! ;0