Sun Special
Most people in North America don't have a sufficient amount of Vitamin D for optimal health.
Did you know the sun is one great way to obtain Vitamin D, sometimes even just 10 minutes in the sun will do you good (provided it's within good weather conditions and good timing).
Sun rays contains three types of rays: UVA, UVB & UVC.
UVC
- usually never penetrates the atmosphere, so we won't worry about it now.
UVA
- has longer wavelengths and thus penetrates with vigour, It can pass through clouds, smog and the works. It can even pass through glass.
- Longer wavelength means deeper skin penetration.
- UVA may not visibly give you a sunburn since it goes deep in the skin
- Causes damage to melanocytes and the important cells in the skin to keep healthy.
- UVA is correlated with extreme health issues such as serious cancers in the skin (Melanoma).
- UVA is also responsible for ageing spots and wrinkling since it is absorbed by dermis layer of skin releasing free radicals and causing DNA changes.
UVB
- shorter wavelength, can't pass through intense clouds, and glass.
- Since it is short, UVB affects the top layer of skin, the visible layer.
- This type of rays is usually the cause of skin burns, as it affect capillaries near the surface or epidermis.
- UVB is the precursor to VITAMIN D production.
- Due to it's short wavelength, UVB is most prevalent when the sun is directly above you, when there is no clouds, lack of smog, and of course no glass between you and the sun.
Remember, blocking the sun isn't ideal, for the sun provides us with much health.
It is the vitamin D that's created through the exposure of UVB rays that help prevent the damage that is created through the harmful UVA rays.
SUNBLOCKS
Sunblocks aren't as good as they seem. Most sunblocks usually block shorter wavelengths, meaning UVA is left to penetrate the skin and cause detrimental damage. Youl may not see a sunburn and think you are fine, But take in consideration that production of vitamin D through UVB rays, helps prevent some of the damage that the UVA tends to create.
Blocking the UVB alone, and not UVA prevents such production, and is dangerous to your health.
If you necessarily need sunblock, make sure to find UVA/UVB sunblock, usually 70 SPF or higher. Any lower SPF will usually block out only the UVB, and prevent you from forming Vitamin D, to counterbalance the damaging effects.
This goes the same way with windows. If you think you are getting good sun from sitting behind a window, think again. For you are blocking out the good rays and only receiving the bad.
VITAL VITAMINS
When you are in the sun midday, when the sun is right above you and you know UVB light is flying towards you with intensity, take it in. Let your body soak both the rays, knowing that although you are getting some bad rays, you are providing your body with the tools to prevent damage.
TANNING
For those of you who love tanning, you will love UVB as well. Although UVA may give you a longer tan, UVB will prove to give you a quicker tan (considering you don't sit too long to get burnt.)
ON A SIDE NOTE
To prevent skin from burning, consume tomatoes of tomato paste, the lycopene in tomatoes helps in prevent burns from sun exposure
Vitamin D is created through exposure of UVB light to cholesterol cells. Using coconut oil can also help in producing a nice tan. But it takes 48 hours for the Vitamin D to be fully absorbed by our body, and hence if you use soap within this 48 hours to wash your body, this vitamin D will wash away. Rinsing your body with water alone would be ideal in this situation, for you can provide your body some time to acquire all the vitamin D you worked hard to produce. In such cases, you can clean extremely dirty areas, or essential body parts with soap and leave your arms and legs and back free of soap washing.
