To Sunbathe or not to Sunbathe? That is the Question... (Part II)

Last week we covered how to approach sun exposure and promised more about how to protect yourself naturally from the harmful effects of UV radiation. Remember that we have been going out in the midday sun for the whole of our existence on this planet and like all the foods we have naturally eaten this form of “nutrition” is part of our evolution and our metabolisms have become dependant upon it, as we discussed last week.

So why has the incidence of skin cancers and malignant melanomas increased in recent years?

As reported in The Nutrition Practitioner journal1 recently, “the medical practice of heliotherapy – exposing patients to controlled amounts of sunlight to cure or alleviate various illnesses – was accepted practice in many countries from the late 19th to mid-20th century”. Indeed, the 1903 Nobel Prize was given to Dr Niels Finsen, a Danish Physician for his work using UV light to treat tuberculosis (TB).

Several leading physicians followed suit with clinics popular in Switzerland, the rest of Europe and on the south coast of England; you may have seen the famous footage of the TB clinic on the Isle of Wight, built to maximise exposure to the sun for thousands of patients. Dr Richard Hobday2 states on his website www.healingsun.com...

“Sunlight was prescribed by the physicians of Greece and Imperial Rome. During the 19th century the health benefits of exposure began to be investigated scientifically and during the first half of the 20th century sunlight therapy was widely practised. Sunlight was used to disinfect and heal the wounds of casualties during the First World War and in the years that followed, heliotherapy (to use the medical term) was a popular treatment for patients suffering from diseases such as tuberculosis and rickets.”

It was only after the 1940s that these practices began to be maligned and sun exposure linked to the rising incidence of skin cancers.

There is no dispute that this worrying statistic exists, but although we are given the impression that UV exposure is completely to blame, why the sudden rise after so many people found great benefit from heliotherapy?

We have to look at the dietary and environmental factors involved and use these as a way to learn and protect ourselves against the downsides of the cheapest health benefit we have. Simon Best writes that there has been no evidence found that the decrease of the ozone layer at the poles correlates with any increase in melanoma3. Citing a study of Punta Arenas, the city closest to the Antarctic ozone hole in South America, showed that the UV had “no noticeable effect” on health problems4.

More importantly, research is now highlighting the link between poor diets and an inability to counter UV damage; the early heliotherapists advocated “gradual, daily exposure to the sun, coupled with a nutritious diet, could cure many diseases and promote robust health”1. Dr Rollier, who at one time had 36 clinics in Switzerland in the early 20th century, observed that skin that is lacking in minerals does not respond as well as that which is fully nourished.

The rise of skin cancers has directly correlated with the decline in the eating of fresh fruit and vegetables, beneficial oils and wholegrains. This of course has also seen the shuffling in of processed foods and higher levels of saturated and hydrogenated fats in foods. The hindering of the correct healing and structure of the skin that this causes, predisposes a person to sunburn and increases the risk of skin cancer.

It was reported in the New York Times5 this month that a recent Australian study produced after ten years of observations, found that there was “a 40 per cent reduction in melanoma among sun worshippers who regularly ate fish”. Omega 3 oils found in oily fish are potent anti-inflammatory agents and support the immune system, so they may well be a factor in these statistics. It is important for us to eat both omega 3 and omega 6 oils; termed “essential fats” as we have to ingest them, cannot make them in the body and rely on them for important body functions, correct metabolism and skin structure. These are what waterproof us, keeping the skin supple, deficiencies often show as dry, cracked or problem skin, easily illustrating how such skin would be more prone to damage from intense UV light.

The ideal ratio for these fats is 2:1 of omega 3:6; omega 3 oils come from mainly oily fish, but also some seeds, grains and beans, but here they are also found with omega 6 oils. Our sources of these have increased – they are found in plants or their oils – especially key ingredients in processed foods; sunflower oil, safflower oil, vegetable oil etc. This has resulted in some people eating a ratio of as much as 1:20 and most about 1:2; this especially applies to vegetarians who are particularly advised to consider omega 3 supplementation.

Other nutritional factors for sun protection are:

Total Being Opinion

Once again, it is back to as natural as possible. Why do we continue to insist upon thinking we know better than Mother Nature? We were intended to go out into the sun and have evolved with this exposure as an important part of our metabolism. Our diets simultaneously allowed us to handle the potentially very damaging UV light by containing the very powerful protective agents in plants and fish. How do you think plants protect themselves against UV when they rely on photosynthesis? How is it that fish remain waterproofed and their skin has the same supple quality that we equate with good skin health?

Make sure that you read the guidelines for safe exposure set out in Part I of this article, go shopping for the foods mentioned above and then think about running naked through the grass, full to the gills with delicious, protective nutrients – feel healthier?

As a final note: do not use sun beds, they produce UVA and have been shown to cause skin cancer, natural is always best9.

References

1. Best S. Why sunlight benefits outweigh hazards. Nut. Pract. Journal: Part 1 Vol.4 Issue 2; Part 2 Vol.5 Issue 1
2. Hobday R. The Healing Sun. Findhorn Press, 1999
3. Br J Can. 1992; 65:916-21
4. Am J Pub Health 1995; 85(4): 546-50
5. Article: Melanoma: It’s down to omega-6, not the sun http://wddty.co.uk
6. Mukhtar H. Eat plenty of green leafy vegetables for photoprotection: emerging evidence. J Invest Dermatol. 2003 Aug;121(2):399-405
7. Stahl W, Sies H. Carotenoids and protection against solar UV radiation. Skin Pharmacol Appl Skin Physiol. 2002 Sep-Oct; 15(5):291-6. Review.
8. Lee J, Jiang S, Levine N, Watson R. Carotenoid supplementation reduces erythema in human skin after simulated solar radiation exposure. Proc Soc Exp Biolog Med. 2000 223:170-174.
9. Am J Epid. 1994; 140:691-9