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by Karina Eileraasin Health / Skin Care (submitted 2011-03-12)
Over the last few years we have all been inundated with messages about how exactly essential it is to keep out of the sun. We understand exactly how real skin cancer is and the risks associated with it so we do everything we can think to do to keep it from happening to us. We wear countless layers of the largest SPF sunscreens that we can buy. We fit large old floppy hats on our heads. We put on long pants and sleeves even through the hottest months of the year. We tend to stick to the shade–some individuals may also carry parasols and umbrellas just to make sure they have exactly no contact with the sun. Now we are beginning to realize that sunlight can really help us. Can you truly be helped by the sun’s rays?
A new study has shown that folks who allow themselves some sun exposure are less likely to develop MS than those who try to minimize their sun exposure. At the starting point, the study was much more about Vitamin D and it’s effects on Multiple Sclerosis. Eventually it became apparent, however, that it was the Vitamin D our bodies produce as a response to exposure to the sun’s rays that seems to be at the root of the issue.
We’ve known for a very long time that sunshine and Vitamin D can impede the way the immune system contributes to MS. This study, however, focuses on the affects of sunshine on individuals who are experiencing the very earliest symptoms of the disease. The true objective is to observe how sunlight and Vitamin D may affect the symptoms that are now known as “precursors” to the actual disease symptoms.
Unfortunately, there are not all that many methods of truly quantify the study’s theory. The study really wants to indicate whether or not exposure to the sun’s rays can actually prevent MS. Unfortunately, the scientists learned, the only way to that is to monitor people over the course of their lives. This is just about the only solution to seriously evaluate the levels of Vitamin D that are already present in a person’s blood before the precursors to MS start to become apparent. The way it stands now, and has stood (widely recognized) for a long time is that people who live in warm and sunny climates and who get more exposure to direct sunshine are less likely to develop MS than those who live in dark or cold climates and get very little exposure to the sun.
There is also the very critical problem that spending too much time in the sunlight greatly increases a person’s chances of developing skin cancer. So, if you make an effort to avoid one disease, there’s a chance you’re helping to induce the other one. Of course, if you ever catch skin cancer early enough you are much more likely to cure it. MS still has no cure.
So what should you do: risk skin cancer or risk MS? Ask your doctor if this is a good idea. Your physician will figure out if you are in danger for the disease (and how much) by checking out your genetics, medical history and current health. From here a family doctor should be able to make it easier to decide the best course of action. About the Author
Karina’s websites: Bluegill Fishing, Gallery Coats, Grass Types and Hobie Cat 16.
Karina Eileraas
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