Beware This HUGE Summertime Fraud
Dear Reader,
A few years back I took my wife and three sons on a houseboat vacation on Lake Powell in Arizona.
On any given day you could find us outside the entire day, swimming, tubing, or even hiking through slot canyons.
But I’ll tell you what you WOULDN’T find: a single bottle of sunscreen.
That’s because, despite convincing ad campaigns by sunscreen manufacturers, there are few things more important for good health than sunlight.
And for the sake of your health, that’s important to remember as summer approaches.
Sunlight sets in motion multiple chemical reactions in the body, including activating hormones like melatonin, estrogen, testosterone, adrenaline, cortisol, and insulin, and neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin.
And of course, it is hands down the best source of vitamin D.
Yet the mainstream has sold the lie that the sun is evil and must be avoided at all costs—and most Americans have bought into it.
The average American spends just 7 percent of their time outdoors—and even then, is covered by clothing, hats, sunglasses—and the worst offender of all, sunscreen.
And we’re paying the price.
According to a new article in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, using sunscreen with an SPF of just 15 or higher reduces the production of the active form of vitamin D (vitamin D3) by a shocking 99 percent.
These researchers claimed that the combination of sunscreen use plus diseases involving the malabsorption of vitamin D (Crohn’s, diabetes, chronic kidney disease) are responsible for causing vitamin D deficiency in more than 1 MILLION people.
Talk about a health disaster.
Low vitamin D levels are one of the biggest risks factors for numerous diseases, including osteoporosis, depression, autoimmune diseases, obesity—and the big ones like heart attacks and cancer.
Vitamin D is necessary for bone health, muscle and nerve function, and the immune system. It is also essential for the proper absorption of calcium, so not getting enough leads to loss of bone density—which naturally increases the risk of bone fractures and osteoporosis.
Instead of avoiding in the sun, we should be basking in it—and that’s exactly my advice to you today.
For optimal vitamin D absorption, try to get the sun directly on your skin during the middle of the day. That’s when the sun produces UVB frequency, which is the kind that causes the formation of vitamin D.
Keep in mind that the amount of vitamin D provided by the sun will vary by the time of year, your specific location, and numerous other factors.
If you want to know for sure how much vitamin D you’re generating, try downloading a free app, like one called D Minder. It tells you what time of day UVB is present at your location, and it takes into account numerous factors, including cloud cover and skin type.
Just be sure to start slow, especially if you’re not used to spending time in the sun. As important as it is to get sunlight every day, it’s also important not to burn yourself. It takes about 4-5 weeks of gradually increasing sun exposure for skin to be able to absorb more sunlight without burning.
To a brighter day,
Dr. Richard Gerhauser, M.D.
