Essential Sunlight for a Healthy Life

Sunlight is essential for your life and health. This often brings up the concern of skin cancer. People are told the sun causes skin cancer and they should wear sunblock to prevent skin cancer. It is not the sun that contributes to cancer, but being burned by the sun. Most people get no exposure to the sun for months; then they go out in the sun all weekend, often getting burned. This burning is a major contributing factor to skin cancer, not the actual sun exposure.

If you do not build up to being in the sunlight, and you know you will be in the sun for a long time, use a chemical-free sunblock. The irony about sunblock is that the types most people use actually contains a chemical that is known to cause cancer. The FDA says PABA is a known carcinogen, or causes cancer and yet it is in most sunblocks. There are PABA-free sunscreens that use different chemicals labeled to be safe.

The easiest way to get sunlight is go outside. Go outside every day without contact lenses or any type of glasses, and have large amounts of your skin exposed to the sun.

If this is not feasible because you live someplace where is not much sun, an acceptable alternative is getting some quality full spectrum light bulbs for your work and home. These are light bulbs that put out light similar to the sun. You can buy these locally or order them online. (If buying online make sure that the bulbs are suitable for your country’s electricity wattage, if not you may have to purchase a converter).