- Maintain optimal aerobic fitness.
- Spend time in the sun!
The Sun and Cancer
Do you avoid the sun or use chemical sunscreens because you fear
skin cancer? The fact is, avoiding the sun can leave you at risk for
other types of cancer, and using sunscreen may actually contribute to
cancer itself.
Research shows that the lack of sun poses a much more serious
threat than skin cancer by dramatically increasing risk factors for
breast, colon, ovarian and other cancers. After extensive examination
of cancer-mortality rates in 506 geographic regions in Europe and
North America, a study published in the journal Cancersuggests that
the likely trigger for these digestive- and reproductive-system cancers
is low levels of ultraviolet B light, essential for the body to produce
vitamin D. Naturally produced vitamin D protects against these types
of cancer — but vitamin D from supplements has not been shown to
be effective. The study also linked 25 percent of the breast cancer in
Europe to insufficient sunlight exposure, and found rates of cancers
of the reproductive and digestive systems twice as high in the New
England states as the sunny Southwest, despite similar dietary habits.
Other cancers related to lack of natural vitamin D due to decreased
sunlight exposure include those of the bladder, uterus, esophagus,
rectum and stomach.
Furthermore, researchers projected that Americans would experi-
ence 85,000 additional cases and 30,000 additional deaths in a single
year from digestive- and reproductive-system cancers that otherwise
would be prevented if all residents received the same amount of sun
as those who live in the southern tier of states. While this additional
sunlight exposure would lead to 3,000 additional skin-cancer deaths,
it would result in 27,000 fewer cancer deaths overall. (These 3,000
additional skin-cancer deaths would be associated with conditions
such as chronic inflammation, carbohydrate intolerance, poor diets
and other preventable factors as well.)
While we’re meant to be in the sun, there are some common-sense
ways to do so in a healthy manner. First, avoid sunburn. This does not
332 • IN FITNESS AND IN HEALTH