Sun Safety, Vitamin D, and Paleo

What’s the balance between sun safety without overdoing it to the point where you’ve prevented this key process from taking place? And does what we’re eating play any role in how safe we are in the sun?

Undoubtedly, and vitamin D deficiency is yet one more topic in the broad spectrum of health concerns in our society today that can be alleviated or even eliminated by incorporating an anti-inflammatory eating regime.

The Skin Cancer Foundation states on their website (3) the importance of incorporating antioxidant rich foods into your diet in order to help prevent skin cancer. Antioxidant-rich foods are easy to find them in many everyday nourishing whole foods.

While the Skin Cancer Foundation doesn’t go so far as to literally recommend a Paleo approach, they do suggest, “The more varied and colorful the array of foods you eat, the more weapons you amass in your anticancer army. Hearty, nutritious, multifaceted meals can help your body fend off damage and disease with waves of powerful antioxidants, immune boosters and anti-inflammatories… One great power regimen combining a wealth of anticancer nutrients is a plant-based diet rich in active, potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatory foods, featuring nutritionally rich foods such as cruciferous and green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, citrus fruit, fresh herbs, fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, wine and olive oil.”

A study of more than 600 people eating this way cut their melanoma incidence compared to others who did not follow this health-boosting approach (4).

So, does that mean we can simply stick to the Paleo diet and not think twice about heading out into the great outdoors without so much as an afterthought about overexposure to sun and subsequent burns?

Unfortunately, no. The sun’s rays aren’t what they used to be. With the ozone layer having depleted by as much as 20 percent in some areas (5), we have to be more mindful than our ancestors were.

This doesn’t mean, however, that we’ve got to pile on the chemicals.

Whether you choose to go the route of many of the safe options for sunscreen on the market these days (6), or choose to test out a more natural approach (such as some of the DIY approaches using coconut oil as a base), simply being aware and mindful that some sun is essential and it needn’t be avoided like the plague is a great starting point.

Eating real, whole foods plays a huge role in the equation, and by factoring in some common sense, we cover all our bases and hedge our bets to keep safe in the sun, while also allowing our bodies to make that crucial vitamin D we require.

References

1. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/124/5/1404?sso=1&sso_redirect_count=1&nfstatus=401&nftoken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000&nfstatusdescription=ERROR%3a+No+local+token

2. http://www.slate.com/articles/life/the_kids/2017/05/vitamin_d_deficiency_in_kids_why_to_worry_and_what_to_do_about_it.html

3. https://www.skincancer.org/prevention/can-your-diet-help-prevent-skin-cancer

4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4516764/

5. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/ozone-depletion/

6. https://www.beautycounter.com/nellstephenson?goto=/products&search=sunscreen