Sunlight being dangerous is nothing new. We’ve all seen the adverts telling us to slap on the sun cream and face the consequences. Cancer of the skin is much more likely in people who are exposed to UV light for longer periods of time without protection and eventually it can actually damage your skin too. The campaign for better safety in the sunshine has spread throughout the modern world and as such more and more people are protecting their kids and themselves from the damages which sunlight can cause.
One thing which wasn’t taken into account when these ad campaigns started up was the fact that we do actually need sunlight to live. Our main source of vitamin D is actually sunshine and without it we can become deficient in that vitamin. This isn’t good as it’s needed to process calcium which in turn is needed to maintain a strong and healthy bone structure.
A recent study has shown that UV exposure can actually reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis, which is a high risk to people later in life but can also affect young people. A lack of properly processed calcium will also make joint conditions like rheumatoid arthritis much worse too, as it helps maintain cartilage.
Obviously walking around exposed to the sunshine isn’t the best idea for you and there’s no point in putting yourself at risk of cancer to prevent arthritis. The best plan of action is to use a lower factor sun cream, one that prevents burning but doesn’t eliminate UV from your life entirely. Also, getting out and about in the cooler months when the sun isn’t as powerful and potentially damage can help you get the vitamins and UV exposure you need to keep your joints and bones healthy! Remember that the sun is your friend, but not one you want to spend all your time with.
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