As a Certified Holistic Cancer Practitioner, I often get the question about “sun exposure”, should we avoid the sun and use sunscreen as it causes skin cancer? If you know me, I do get a tan each and every year and for the record, I will not make any recommendations for you to follow but I will cover what has been found and reported in clinical trials regarding sun exposure.

Mainstream advice will not be in line with what I’m about to share. Sunshine is exceedingly healthy and good for you and increases life expectancy. Avoiding the sun at all cost to avoid skin cancer is damaging advice for overall health and he’s why. Caucasians are pale because when our ancestors migrated north, their skin had to become lighter in order to make vitamin D. The closer you live to the equator, the darker your skin will be to sustain yearlong sun exposure. We are supposed to live out in the open, under the sun, every day, rain or shine. We did not turn pale so that we could hide from the sun. A paper in the Annals of epidemiology called “ Vitamin D for cancer prevention: Global perspective….and this study lasted 20 years found the following results, and I quote:

• Women with higher UVB exposure had only half the rate of breast cancer. • Men with higher UVB exposure had only half the rate of fatal prostate cancer. • Men and women with higher vitamin D levels had one quarter the risk of developing colon cancer.

So this is half the rate of the three most common cancers, not bad for something we’re told to avoid at all cost. So, what about skin cancer? There are three different types of skin cancer and most are quickly diagnosed and fully cured. • Basal cell carcinoma • Squamous cell carcinoma • Rodent ulcers (often grouped together as non-melanoma cancers)

Rodent ulcers are often from over-exposure to the sun on pale-skinned people who live in countries closer to the equator where their skin isn’t designed to sustain. These are removed and are mostly found on the head.

Applying a copious amount of sunscreen can do more harm than good. They stop you from burning yes, but they can let through UVA rays, which may be the truly dangerous form of radiation. You must use creams with both UVA and UVB protection. How about the chemicals in sun creams….many are carcinogenic!!! Gradually building up a tan, early morning and late afternoon at first will offer protection while offering the amazing benefits of the sun.

How about malignant melanoma? We’ve been adamantly informed to use sunscreen and avoid sun exposure causing massive hysteria that skin cancer is on the rise. Malignant melanoma can start in the inner lining of the nose, the esophagus and the vagina and over 60% of all malignant melanomas are found in areas of the body that has never seen the sun. The sun is not required for malignant melanoma to develop. The Lancet noted that skin cancer is less likely to occur in people who work outdoors suggesting that sun exposure can have a protective effect. The ultraviolet radiation of the sun is protective of melanomas. It is stated that melanomas develop mostly in the back of men and on the legs of women, mostly areas not chronically exposed to the sun. Even with more people hiding and covering up from the sun, melanomas continue to rise and mostly in areas that have never seen the sun. Perhaps something else may be going on? I’ve been talking about weak cell membranes for years in my presentations from low-fat diet, specifically saturated fats and essential fatty acids. …but that’s another discussion. Back to the sun!

The article in the British Journal of Dermatology, “Melanoma Epidemic: a midsummer night’s dream? concluded that a large increase in reported incidence is likely due to diagnostic drift, which classifies benign lesions as stage one melanoma…but are they?…as they did not correspond to sites exposed to the sun. And even if they are in areas exposed to the sun, these lesions are often benign – but stated as stage one melanomas (important to repeat). We need more research on the true cause of melanomas….but keep in mind that we are not suggesting that skin burning is healthy. But avoiding the sun is clearly unhealthy. It could be argued that avoiding the sun may increase your risk of skin cancer by avoiding the ultraviolet rays hitting your skin to increase vitamin D production….and vitamin D is highly cancer-protective. Simply supplementing with vitamin D does not cover all the benefits of the sun.

Here are some of the benefits of sun exposure:

• Colorectal cancer 75% reduction • Breast cancer 50% reduction • Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma 20-40% reduction • Prostate cancer 50% reduction • Bladder cancer 30% reduction • Metabolic syndrome/Type 2 diabetes 40% reduction • Alzheimer’s disease 50% reduction • MS 50% reduction • Psoriasis 60% reduction • Macular degeneration seven-fold reduction risk • Improvement in mood/wellbeing – too great to put in percentage.

So, all-cause mortality should be the primary determinant of public health messages. Sun avoidance may carry more of a cost than benefit for overall good health. The above information is supported by studies and not opinions and I would recommend that you read the book “A Statin Nation” for all studies and supported documents.

On a personal note, I do not avoid the sun and never have because the overall benefits outweigh the few wrinkles I may get earlier in life.

For optimal health and disease management please contact me to book an appointment. Accepting new clients, covered by Health Insurances!!!

Marie-Josée Brown, CHCP, ROHP