Sunlight

 

Fear of skin cancer or melanoma has some people actively avoiding sunlight, with sun damage being a justifiable concern today. But the gradual impact from insufficient sunlight is broad, including severe disease. Is avoidance really the safer solution?

Since the earth’s ozone layer acts as a filter to enable life to exist on land, concerns are to be expected due to damage to that layer resulting in greater exposure to dangerous ultraviolet rays.

And yet, sun therapy has been a beneficial part of civilization for thousands of years. It was an important component in the cure of many conditions, a consideration in all hospitals. Today, we know sunlight is vital for cellular metabolism, neuromuscular function and avoiding inflammation.

Meanwhile, we now educate our children that today’s problem of insufficient natural protection from sunlight involves the greenhouse effect, acid rain, and a damaged ozone layer from chlorine radicals released from the … refrigerators, aerosols, and  cow gas! No one talks about the massive bombs released for military experiments in the 1960s, nor about the untold damage it caused our upper atmosphere. The cause may be tossed about, but it can’t be denied that our earth’s protective envelope has been damaged.

Earlier sunscreens filtered out the exact rays that promote our skin’s production of vitamin D while permitting the more damaging rays to penetrate the skin. Whoops! Our dependency on sunscreen containing synthetic chemicals was eventually discovered to be a contributor to the increase of skin cancers. In fact, melanoma rates tripled over the last 35 years, according to ewg.org reports. Sunscreens with vitamin A are now showing up as more damaging than helpful.

What’s the best option? With its vital role in life, it’s not avoiding the sun. The safer solution left is to examine traditional natural oils and additives, minus the synthetic chemicals, and to become mindful of sensible exposure times.

In addition, it’s important to voice your concerns about lack of accountability for government policies that fail to independently verify safety of procedures and regulations that affect our environment, our food supply and our society’s wellbeing.

 

To read more on sunscreens, melanoma rates and why high SPF may not be your main concern , visit:

http://www.ewg.org/2013sunscreen/9-surprising-facts-about-sunscreen/