Q&A: What are your thoughts on the sun?

What about the Japanese who avoid sun for beauty reasons?

In the 90s, I learned from fellow Certified Nutritionist Krispin Sullivan, who had written a 400-page book on vitamin D, that UV-B (ultraviolet-B) light is the “burning” ray. It’s also the one that creates vitamin D, provided that enough skin is exposed to the sun.

Photo by Randy Laybourne on Unsplash

Guess what blocks UV-B.

Sunscreen!

UV-A, on the other hand, does get through sunscreen. It’s the tanning ray. Unfortunately, it also causes wrinkles and actually increases cancer risk!

This is the most logical reason why so many studies associate sunscreen use with cancer.

Sullivan shared several tips for proper sun exposure:

1. The best sunlight for vitamin D synthesis is between 10 AM and 2 PM

2. Bare as much skin as possible to the sun, not just the face

3. A cholesterol-rich diet is critical for turning sunlight into vitamin D

4. Don’t scrub the skin in the shower because the vitamin D builds up in the skin over time

5. The darker the skin, the longer time required. Extremely fair-skinned folks only need as little as 20 minutes per day; while very dark skin may require 2 or more HOURS.

6. If you normally avoid the sun completely, start slow and increase exposure over a few weeks.

7. Adequate Vitamin C is crucial for preventing wrinkling and burning, particularly in very pale people. It should be consumed all year long, even if you only suntan in summer

Sun exposure has many other benefits, too! It:

• Syncs your biological clock when the pineal gland senses it, resulting in improved focus during the day and better sleep at night

• Lowers blood pressure

• Stabilizes weight and blood sugar

• Helps beat bacterial infections and speed detoxification when you have a cold

Given all the benefits of the sun, it’s only logical that the fear-mongering is in service of sunscreen manufacturers, as well as the medical establishment, which reaps the financial rewards from sick people.

As for the Japanese, I hesitate to turn any group of people into a monolith. What people do for beauty should not be confused with what they do for their health. Throughout history, humans have engaged in many sketchy beauty practices that destroyed their bodies.

In some circles, pale skin is highly prized—a sign that someone does not do manual outdoor labor. Of course, they theoretically avoid excessive wrinkling this way, too.

Over the years, I have read many analyses pointing out fragile bones, extreme hunching of the spine, crowded teeth, and increased cancer risks in the Japanese. They didn’t analyze vitamin D levels, but these are very common signs of deficiency.

While I have met many Japanese tourists where I live, who cover up like superheroes, I’ve also spent some of my time in Japan on farms.

Japanese farmers often comment about how healthy it is to expose the skin to the sun. They are proud of their suntanned skin. And unless they grew up in the city, the ones in the countryside do not appear to suffer from the same conditions as their urban counterparts.

I hope this puts the sun into perspective.

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