Originally published July 15 2005
Researchers: Sun exposure, in moderation, may be good for lowering risk of some cancers
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Scientists have gone from warning people to totally avoid the sun's harmful rays to saying sun exposure promotes the body's production of cancer-fighting vitamin D, but University of Southern California researchers say people should still take their sun vitamin in moderation.
In the largest such study to date, a research team from three cancer centers has found that increased exposure to sunlight may decrease the risk of prostate cancer.
Researchers report in the June 15 issue of Cancer Research that men with high sun exposure had half the risk of prostate cancer than did men with low sun exposure.
"We believe that sunlight helps to reduce people's risk of prostate cancer because the body manufactures the active form of vitamin D from exposure to sunlight," John said.
Ingles noted that the vitamin D findings, if borne out by future studies, could have a significant impact on public health.
Previous research by Schwartz and colleagues showed that the prostate uses vitamin D to promote the normal growth of prostate cells and inhibit the invasiveness and spread of prostate cancer cells to other parts of the body.
"These receptors, which function with vitamin D like a lock and key, vary in their ability to bind vitamin D, and thus to influence cell behavior."
The researchers compared 450 non-Latino white patients in the San Francisco Bay area who had advanced prostate cancer with a matched control group of 455 men who did not have prostate cancer.
The scientists measured sun exposure by comparing pigmentation of underarm skin (which is usually not exposed to sunlight) with forehead pigmentation (which is exposed to the sun) using a reflectometer.
Because it is hard for sunlight to reach the underarm area, researchers saw no statistical difference in the pigmentation measurement between men with prostate cancer and those in the control group.
David Van Den Berg, research assistant professor of urology in the Keck School, also participated in the study.
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