My sister has spent most of her life indoors, reading, playing D&D, watching TV, social media, etc. Her daughter pretty much followed mom's example, and so did her granddaughter. Now I learn that sister has a rare kind of cancer, my niece already had cancer that had been surgically removed. My grand niece had a broken wrist and was diagnosed with severe deficiency of Vitamin D causing weak bones. That compares to myself and my kids who grew up running naked through the woods, camping, hiking, and playing outside.
I have read that Vitamin D is very helpful fighting cancer, so much that exposure to sunshine prevents more skin cancer than chemical sun blocker. I got to wondering if the cultural trend toward children (and adults) sitting inside in front of screens instead of going outside in the sunshine is now a factor in cancer risk? Of course we are all sitting here by our screens, but we nudists tend to get outside as soon as spring happens and the snow melts.
Has anyone else noticed a correlation between friends or family members getting cancer and an indoor screen oriented life style? What about thin bones, breaks, injuries, or other medical problems? Is there medical data or are there studies on this? Wondering.
I'm no medical expert, but I try to be aware of natural, "common-sense" things in life. Throughout most of my life, I've had two frequent habits…being nude whenever possible, and wearing a hat or ball cap whether I'm nude or not. Every other square inch of my skin has had more sun exposure than the top of my head. I've often been told "you'll go bald from wearing a hat all the time", and "you'll get skin cancer from going naked outdoors all the time". Well, I've had basal cell carcinoma (skin cancer) removed from the top of my head, but nowhere else. Things that make you go "Hmmmm…."
This seems very credible – natural and logical. I have not seen any scientific proof but that's probably because there is no money in the research.
Yes. There is a LOT of money in "treating" cancer, and selling video games, but NO money in going outside to get some sunshine every day.
And no money in finding the root cause of cancer…
Is this the kind of article that helps to give credence to our beliefs:
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/cancers-in-general/cancer-questions/vitamin-d-sunlight-and-cancer
There are more articles where that one came from:
http://search.cancerresearchuk.org/search/results.jsp?siteid=1&query=Vitamin+D&searchsubmit=Search
…and that's just vitamin D!
I have heard that the human body has evolved to be able to cope perfectly well with all day everyday exposure to the sun – and that's the key. It's only started being a problem when we started wearing clothes and hiding from the sun for 357 days of the year and then spending a week lying on a beach with poorly applied factor 50, and then wondering why we burn, get cancer and rickets through vitamin D deficiency. People lucky (or poor) enough to be naked through springtime should have their body well prepared for summer sunshine – or at least that's the theory that I've not been able to prove yet, but would really like to soon. I'll let you know . . .
Spot on Gordon – exactly what I think.
Melanin – our skin's natural pigment – is nature's way of controlling our exposure to the sun. Once you have a tan you are much less likely to burn.
I have a theory that the light skinned amongst us have evolved to be that way because we live (or at least lived for enough of our evolution) in parts of the world where the sun is not as strong; so we NEEDED to capture more of what was available. Wearing clothes (a very recent change in evolutionary terms) and living indoors, both work against that adaptation, so our health suffers…
The skin cancers today have a lot to do with tanning spas, not naturist behavior. Hey, great poll question!
That's what I do – tan slowly each year and very little sunblock – and that only in spring
My wife is short on vitamin D, even being dark skin
& Brazilian (scared of spots). Now has weak bones
Ladies you must get outdoors ten minutes a day or take 50000 mg of D a month. I had rather have the Sun nature provides, not pills, beds.
http://www.naturistliving.bareoaks.ca/2010/04/sunshine-and-vitamin-d.html
People who avoid the Sun also tend to have more depression
I've had problems with depression and my doctor recommended time outside in the sun and even short visits to a tanning booth in the winter. I have noticed the sun definitely helps( that's why I'm always smiling in my outdoor pics!).
On another note, my ex father-in-law had very fair skin and red hair, loved to be out in the sun, especially boating and had terrible problems with skin cancer. So, I guess it all depends on your skin type.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is known to be linked to sunlight exposure and this article help to explain why (stay on the American site even if it tries to suggest you go elsewhere):
http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/news/20021205/unraveling-suns-role-in-depression
As for skin types; you are right, we should all control our exposure to what works best for us. I fear the fair skinned / red haired types (like my brother) are at a disadvantage and have to be more careful. It is possible they don't need as much sunlight to gain the benefits, but the price they pay for that is an inability to withstand the level of exposure they would like to.
Although I don't have any evidence to back up my agreement with what Bob says, I feel his 'notion' that the intake of vitamin D reduces the risks of cancer, is quite correct.
A friend and his wife (both naturists) have pretty good exposure to the sun & high levels of V>D. The sister of my friend is comparatively speaking anaemic, she has low V>D and is prone to fractures etc. She also has brittle finger nails & very (thin) fine hair. These may be calcium deficiency effects but she (& my friend, {her brother}) associate these problems also with her anaemia.