Ultraviolet Radiation

We’ve heard endless rants about the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation to a person’s health. But before you totally shield yourself from sun’s rays, do you know that some sun can actually be beneficial to your body?

Forget tan. While the only advantage most people can think of when talking about the sun is its tanning effect, some people are actually aware that the sun is capable of providing certain health benefits.

Plant photosynthesis, light, warmth, and a supply of vitamin D are some of the most common benefits of ultraviolet radiation. So what’s the big deal? There’s definitely a lot to think about. Vitamin D is known to be an effective breast cancer protection in more ways than one. Since the body requires sunlight in order to perform the chemical process of naturally producing vitamin D, it is recommended that everyone gets about 15 minutes of sun exposure each day. A 15-minute daily dose of ultraviolet radiation on the skin is enough to produce the amount of vitamin D your body needs. Vitamin D is so important that if one is unable to get as much sunlight as necessary, supplemental vitamin D should be taken in.

Vitamin D, which is known to be given off by the sun’s ultraviolet radiation, is more noted in aiding the body utilize phosphorous and calcium for the maintenance of healthy teeth and bones. However, that is merely one of the many health effects of uv radiation.

Not a lot of people know that when a person gets the required amount of vitamin D from uv radiation, this works to prevent him from getting breast cancer. Vitamin D is most capable of: enabling the breast cells to ward off toxins; reducing the tendency of breast cells to split; preventing blood vessels from becoming a tumor; killing tumor cells; enhancing the body’s natural immune system especially the Natural Killer cells.

Vitamin D is a distinctive type of vitamin because the human body has the ability to produce it. The catalyzing agent that triggers such production is the sun. The ultraviolet radiation in sunlight needs to react with the various chemicals found on your skin in order to produce sufficient vitamin D. A regular sun exposure of 15 minutes daily is believed to lessen your risks of developing breast cancer by about 40%.

But as with most things, the ultraviolet radiation package comes with certain downsides as well. Too much sun exposure can also be unhealthy since the sun’s ultraviolet radiation is capable of causing damage to the DNA of skin cells. Women who are exposed to too much uv rays and whose skin are light pigmented, are likely to be recipients of severe damage, which includes: premature aging, discolored spots, deep wrinkles, and leathery or rough skin, and possibly skin cancer.

Since lack and too much of ultraviolet radiation can cause cancer either way, make sure you get only the appropriate amount. The right dose is crucial in obtaining health-friendly vitamin D.
Fifteen minute of sun exposure is best during the early part of the morning or the later part of the afternoon. Make sure that when you get out for some sun, the rays are not very intense. Add a little physical endeavor such as brisk walk, and you get two times the benefit. Regular physical activity is found to lessen your risk of the disease by not less than 30%. For those who live in places where the sun rarely shines, taking supplemental vitamin D should compensate for the lack or absence of sun exposure.

Too little and too much of ultraviolet radiation can be harmful. So be somewhere in between and you’re on your way to better health.