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Sunshine: The myths and benefits

Recently, the Government discussed bringing a new law into place which would ban the use of tanning beds in salons for people under 18. Increasing amounts of evidence have shown tanning beds to significantly increase the chance of gaining skin cancer. Even though salon staff like to claim that their tan is safe, the electromagnetic rays emitted by the beds may cause health problems.

So what about the actual sun itself? Does this cause skin cancer and other health problems? The media have generally indicated that this is the case, and that we should 'avoid the sun' where possible. However, the  issue of the link between sun exposure and skin cancer is still under debate. Whilst excessive exposure to the sun may cause skin cancer, incorrect proportions of omega 6:3 fat ratio are actually more likely to cause the problem! In fact, new research suggests that the sun may actually reduce the chance of skin cancer!

Sun exposure has also been shown to have a number of other health benefits, including:

• The prevention of weak and brittle bones (osteoporosis)

• The lowering of blood cholesterol

• Protection against multiple sclerosis

The majority of people in this country suffer from not getting enough sun, rather than too much. The sun provides vitamin D, which many people are deficient in. In fact, each year, thousands of people die from various forms of cancer, due to not receiving enough sun! For many people, the average day consists of walking to and from their car, sitting indoors at work throughout the day, and then sitting indoors back at home at the end of the day ... not much sun exposure. Then they go abroad on holiday, and are exposed to much more sun than they are used to!

Sun tan creams and lotions are widely used, with the aim of preventing problems associated with the sun. However, many of these contain harmful chemicals, and although certain types of skin cancer may be prevented by their use, research has shown that others aren't. Also, totally covering your body doesn't allow the skin to take-in the sun's rays, and therefore, it doesn't receive the vitamin D that it so vitally needs.

To gain the benefits of the sun, and to avoid the potential problems, aim to follow these guidelines:

1. Avoid staying in the sun long enough to burn your skin.

2. At the start of the summer, limit your exposure to the sun to as little as 5 to 10 minutes per session. Progressively increase your time in the sun so that in a few weeks, you will be able to have normal sun exposure with little risk of skin cancer.

3. Avoid too much sunlight exposure during the hottest parts of the day, generally between 11am to 1pm.

4. Prior to visiting a hot country, try to progressively expose your body to the sun.

5. Limit the use of sun tan cream where possible, and avoid spreading it thickly over your whole body.

6. Try to get exposure to the daylight throughout the year where possible.

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