If you think about it, our ancestors spent far more time in nature than we do now. And the vital part that provides energy to all of nature—the sun—also provides energy to us. Indeed, the sun is a powerful energy source and one study has found that our lack of sun exposure may be the underlying cause of cancer and other diseases.

Too little Sun Exposure may cause sunburn

Surprisingly, researchers have learned that regular sun exposure is not only safe, but also important for skin health. Direct sun exposure trains your body to absorb the sun’s energy while producing essential antioxidants in your skin. Without that exposure and those antioxidants, your skin becomes more sensitive resulting in burning and peeling.

Sunlight: An answer for Cancer?

Professor Rachel Neale from the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Brisbane, Australia evaluated the risk of pancreatic cancer diagnoses among participants living in areas of varying sun exposure. The study revealed that participants who were exposed to the most sunlight actually cut their risk of cancer by 50 percent!

How much time in the Sun enough?

Exposing yourself to direct sunlight every day for just 30 minutes offers several benefits:

• Vitamin D production
• Internal body clock regulation
• Better sleep
• Balanced mood
• Supported weight loss

And now:

• Reduced risk of cancer

Two of these benefits, vitamin D production and better sleep, actually provide a wonderful side effect—boosted immunity! Therefore, it is most likely your strengthened immune system will protect your body from developing cancer. But, you can always ‘Ask a Naturopath’ for more information about the benefits of sunlight as well as how you can go about reducing your cancer risk.