Over the last few decades we have all been bombarded with messages about how important it is to stay out of the sun. We’ve realized just how real a risk skin cancer can be and are doing almost everything we can think of to prevent it from happening. We slather on layers and layers of the largest SPF sunscreens that we can buy. We have on large floppy hats. We use long sleeves and also pant legs even in the warmest of temps. We often stick to the shade–some folks may even carry parasols and umbrellas just to make sure they have exactly no contact with the sun. Now we’re learning that the sun’s rays can be beneficial! Can direct sunlight actually help you?
A new study has been completed and it indicates that people who allow some time in direct natural light aren’t as likely to get MS as the people who do everything they can to keep out of the sun. The study was actually performed to find out how Vitamin D affects the progression of Multiple Sclerosis. It quickly became clear, though, that the Vitamin D made in our bodies as a reaction to the sun’s rays is what is really at the root of things.
It’s been acknowledged for a very long time that Vitamin D and the sun’s rays can impact the way the immune system works and how it can contribute to Multiple Sclerosis. This study, however, deals chiefly with the effects of the sun’s rays on the people who are just starting to experience the very earliest symptoms of the disease. The objective of the study is to observe how the sun’s rays and Vitamin D might have an affect on the symptoms doctors call “precursor” to actual symptoms of the disease.
Unfortunately, there are not all that many approaches to really quantify the study’s hypothesis. The purpose of the study is to find out whether sunlight can actually prevent the disease. Sadly, the only real way to quantify whether or not this is true is to monitor a person over his or her entire life. This is the only way to effectively measure the already existent levels of Vitamin D in a person’s blood before the symptoms of MS start to show themselves. As it stands now, people with regular sun exposure seem to have fewer MS symptoms, especially in the beginning, than those who live in darker and colder climates-but this was already widely known.
There is also the very important issue that spending too much time in the sun greatly increases a person’s chances of developing skin cancer. So, if you try to prevent one disease, you could be helping to induce the other one. Of course, when it gets caught early on, skin cancer is very treatable and can even be cured. This is not true for MS.
So should you get more sun to prevent MS from setting in? Talk to your doctor to figure out if this is a good idea. Your doctor will look into your current state of health, your health history and even into your genetics to help you figure out if you even sit at risk for the disease at all. This will help your doctor figure out what the best thing for you to do is.
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