Does Too Much Sunlight Really Cause Melanoma?
Thursday, July 29th, 2010
Summer is here again! That means it’s time to go out and bask in the sun’s vitamin D-enriching glow.
The naysayers, however, believe there’s little or no reason to celebrate sun exposure. Despite the many vitamin D benefits that sun exposure brings to the table, they still focus on one dreaded disease – melanoma – supposedly caused by excessive sunlight.
It’s time to set the record straight. Does too much sun exposure really cause melanoma?
Ethnicity, Not Sun Exposure
In a Eurekalert report, Sam Shuster, a consultant dermatologist at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, argues that sun exposure is NOT the major cause of malignant melanoma.
Malignant melanoma, a very aggressive, dangerous, and rare form of skin cancer, is said to be related more to ethnicity. In 75% of cases, it occurs on relatively unexposed skin, such as on the feet of Africans.
Malignant melanoma occurrence actually decreases with greater sun exposure. It can be increased, on the other hand, by use of sunscreens.
Evidence shows that the reported increase in malignant melanoma incidence is due to the incorrect classification of benign nevi as malignant melanoma. This explains why the mortality rate has changed little despite the supposed “great” increase in malignant melanoma incidence.
Dr. Mercola: The Sun Has Been Unfairly Demonized!
“Many people are convinced that it is necessary to avoid the sun to decrease their risk of cancer, when the opposite is actually true,” says Dr. Joseph Mercola, founder of Mercola.com, the world’s most visited natural health website.
Dr. Mercola asserts that the benefits of moderate sun exposure FAR outweigh its risks!
People who live in sunnier, southern latitudes, for instance, have higher vitamin D levels as a result of their increased sun exposure. They are less likely to die from any type of cancer than those in northern latitudes.
Optimal vitamin D levels have been shown to help prevent as many as 16 types of cancer, including lung, breast, ovarian, pancreatic, colon, and prostate cancers. This isn’t just another slight impact; vitamin D can cut cancer risk as much as 60%!
How Vitamin D Works Against Cancer
The protective effects of vitamin D against cancer work in various ways, including:
- Increasing the self-destruction of mutated cells that, if allowed to replicate, could lead to cancer
- Reducing the spread and reproduction of cancer cells
- Causing cells to become differentiated
- Reducing the growth of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones, a step in the transition of dormant tumors turning cancerous
Previous studies, in fact, have found that lack of sunshine and the resulting vitamin D deficiency cause one million deaths a year.
Contrary to false claims, the sun brings greater benefits for your general health. But when it is nearly impossible for you to obtain adequate sunlight exposure, vitamin D supplementation is your next option. To give you an idea of age-appropriate dosage, get your vitamin D dose recommendations from Dr. Mercola.
Just make sure to get your blood tested when taking a vitamin d supplement. Overdose doesn’t happen when vitamin D is obtained from sunlight, but is possible during supplementation.
Among the two vitamin D tests – 1,25(OH)D and 25(OH)D – the 25(OH)D is a more accurate indicator of vitamin D status and overall health. A trusted name in 25(OH)D testing is DiaSorin. They are FDA approved and are used in most clinical vitamin D studies.
Related links:
Sunscreens May Not Prevent Melanoma
How Vitamin D Protects Your Heart
