FITNESS

Sunshine of your life

SHARON CHRISTINE RILEY

Sunlight is an essential part of our daily lives. Without it we would not be able to maintain our cycle of waking up in the morning and going to sleep at night. In addition, some of the vitamins delivered to our body through exposure to sunlight are responsible for the breakdown of fats - one of the main enemies of healthy living.

While we need to be exposed to the sun to maintain our health, overdoing exposure to its rays can be detrimental to our health, causing premature ageing and skin cancer.

Healthy doses

Although skin cancer is usually linked with sunlight, melanomas are not simply caused by being exposed to the sun - there are many other factors involved. So avoiding the sun is not the best approach to a healthy lifestyle.

The sun is responsible for stopping the production of melatonin, the sleep-inducing drug found in our body that tells it to switch off and sleep. Melatonin production is blocked by exposure to direct sunlight on the skin, awakening the senses and the mind for an active and energetic day. This is one of the reasons why we often feel much better throughout the day if we start with an early morning activity such as a walk in the bright sunshine.

Additionally, exposure to direct sunlight is essential for producing vitamin D. This vitamin is responsible for the regulation of the metabolism of all minerals and vitamins within the body. This regulation includes minerals such as phosphorous and calcium which in turn control activities such as bone maintenance and development of our teeth.

Start from within

Before debating whether we should expose ourselves to direct sunlight, we should have an understanding of what goes on under the skin. To put this simply, we need to be healthy from the inside out to maintain protection against the harmful effects of the sun on our body.

A diet of processed and refined foods results in a lack of intake of minerals and many vitamins, particularly vitamin B6. The lack of B6 results in the skin being more sensitive to the damaging effects of exposure to sunlight.

Also, the consumption of man-made fats such as hydrogenated vegetable oils and margarine can significantly change the composition of the layer of fat found immediately under the skin's surface. Antibiotics, tranquilisers and hormonal drugs can also have a significant impact on this essential protective barrier, changing the tolerance of the skin to sunlight.

It has been found that artificial sweeteners can cause the skin to alter the manner in which it reacts to light. Accordingly these types of products are known as photosensitising agents as they cause a different reaction to that normally required when the skin is exposed to sunlight.

Seasonal blues

Have you heard of the term SAD? Most of us will probably know this disorder by a different name - winter blues. SAD actually stands for "season affective disorder" and is long suspected as one of the causes of winter depression.

Studies into this disorder have found that the further you are away from the equator, the more likely you are to suffer from its effects. Tell-tale signs such as lethargy, overeating, problems getting out of bed, depression and irritability are often accompanied by a lowered resistance to infection.

It has been proven that bright sunlight makes a difference to the chemistry that takes place within the brain. Therefore the cure that has been devised for this SAD sufferers involves periods of exposure to direct sunlight every day. If this is not an option, possibly due to the location where the sufferer lives, then a special light can be used which results in the replication or equivalent reactions taking place within the body.

Essential protection

While exposure to the sun is essential to our health, it is important to maintain a respect for the health risks and damage that can occur with too much sun exposure.

For those who work in an indoor environment all week, it is easy to become a sun-worshipper at the weekends. But ensure you maintain due respect for what the power of direct sunlight can do, even over a relatively short period of time.

When planning your day try to expose yourself during the best times of the day. Early in the morning is ideal, or wait until later when the afternoon sun has lost its extreme power. If this is not possible, then it is recommended that you cover up with protective items such as hats and long-sleeved shirts.

For those of us who may be involved in some form of exercise activity that does not permit restrictive items of this nature, protective sunscreen may be the only option available. The best advice is to limit your selection to those with the least amount of chemicals in them.

And one of the best defenses of all - make sure you eat plenty of the natural sun blockers. These are the body's own defence and provide you with natural immunity against the dangers of skin cancer. They are the basic building blocks of maintaining healthy skin and the defensive barrier immediately below it, resisting the penetration of the harmful elements of direct sunshine.

Sunscreens

It cannot be emphasised enough that your choice of sunscreen should be limited to those containing the least amount of chemicals as possible. The reason for this is that many of the chemicals used in sunscreens are classified as endocrine disrupters or oestrogenic - they try to fool the body that they are natural hormones when in fact they are not. In the most extreme cases, this can lead to reproductive problems.

The natural sunscreens do not use these types of chemicals. They are considered to be physical barrier type sunscreens and are therefore generally less irritating. One of the most important factors of these barrier type protectors are that they protect your skin against UVA and UVB rays, the ones that can do the most damage.

The preferred natural blockers or physical barrier based screens are those that use titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. So, with summer now once again upon us here in Asia, happy sun-worshipping. But please, give this extremely powerful life-giving force the respect that it is due.

Bangkok Post

Last Updated : Sunday April 08, 2007