There is nothing as wonderful as rolling up your sleeves and sitting in the warm sun. Just feeling the sun's warmth on your skin, is one of life's simple pleasures. There is however, a concern about skin cancer and premature aging, which means that sun bathing has become a guilty pleasure.

Most people today have been told to avoid the sun at all costs. If they do venture into the sun they have been told to put the highest factor sun block on. It is, however, not healthy to avoid the sun altogether either.  In fact, doing so can actually increase your risk of cancer.

Did you know that natural light and fresh air bring life to our bodies? Florence Nightingale was one of the first people to prove this, by opening up the hospital doors and windows, thereby allowing natural light and air to filter through the hospital. In our hospitals today, where the sick are supposed to get better, we have air conditioning, artificial light and closed windows. In fact, many of us are continually exposed to these dreary conditions in the work place. 

Exposure to fresh air and sunshine is healing and rejuvenates every part of the body, bringing about a positive effect on our hormonal- and immune systems - even lifting depression and nervous disorders. The sun is a valuable source of Vitamin D, which is necessary for calcium absorption and calcium, in turn, soothes our nervous system. Ultraviolet rays actually change a cholesterol molecule found on our skin into Vitamin D. Low levels of Vitamin D are associated with increased risk of infection, cancer and heart disease. Generally speaking, most people don't get enough of the stuff. We should all try and spend at least 30 minutes in the sun, before 11am and/or after 3pm to help raise serotonin levels.    

According to leading vitamin D campaigner, Dr Oliver Gillie, "The effects of this widespread vitamin D deficiency are very serious and until very recently, were barely appreciated at all by doctors and others responsible for public health."

Dr. Gillie is highly critical of the SunSmart advice put out by Cancer Research UK that encourages people to stay out of the sun and use high-protection-factor sun blocks. "That program has probably caused many more deaths from cancer than it has prevented," he claims. "It may also be partly responsible for apparent increases in chronic diseases such as multiple sclerosis and diabetes." [1] 

Vitamin D is further important for bone health. In March last year, Robert Heaney, professor of Medicine at Creighton University, Omaha, called for an "immediate improvement in vitamin D status of the general population," on the grounds that this would reduce the risk of bone fractures caused by osteoporosis, as well as protecting against "various cancers and autoimmune disorders." [2]  

A further two studies recently claimed that if we all got adequate amounts of this vitamin, it would be possible to cut rates of breast, prostate and colon cancer by over 50%.  [3]

Modern day living seems designed to reduce our vitamin D intake to a minimum.  We are encouraged to be Dracula-like when it comes to sunlight and while food can provide some vitamin D, today's low-fat diet mantra discriminates against rich sources such as eggs, shell fish, kippers and herrings.

Professor Meir Stampfer, an epidemiologist at Harvard Medical School, believes it's hardly surprising that the latest evidence suggests most people living in Northern Europe have low levels of vitamin D.   "On top of that, as a population we are older and fatter than we used to be and both those things reduce our ability to absorb vitamin D from sunlight." 

Should you be living in the UK during summer and you expose your hands, arms and face for 20 minutes between 10am and 2pm, it still only gives you about 200-400iu (5-10mcg) of Vit D, which is still considered a fairly low level (1200iu/30mcg is considered optimal). To get a more satisfactory amount, American experts are suggesting you need to expose 50% to 80% of your skin for about 20 minutes.