Saturday, August 4, 2007

Sunshine reduces breast cancer risk

Yet another reason to forgo the sunscreen...

5 comments:

  1. don't you think your comment is a little misguided. My dad has skin cancer removed regularly from years of forgoing sunblock. I think one needs to find a balance between the 2.

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  2. Oh, I suppose it's extreme...I don't know about misguided.

    I guess the reason I feel so strongly about it is because EVERYTHING has sunblock in it now, especially makeup. If we never get any sun exposure, how do we avoid problems caused by vitamin D deficiency - like depression, poor calcium absorption, and now this study linking cancer to it?

    No, we should not go out in the sun and get fried regularly, allowing ourselves to get peeling, blistering sunburns. But, 20 minutes of sun per day, even at that "peak" time when we are told to not even GO outside? I think our lives depend on it on some level!

    So, why didn't I just say that in the blog? I have no idea. :) Does that make more sense?

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  3. you ask. i respond. i hope this helps your boredom, for at least the 5 minutes it takes to read my novella.

    think you are lovely lovely.

    saraw.

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  4. As a melanoma patient.... Sunblock doesn't block ALL UVA/UVB rays. It just lets us stay in the sun longer than we normally could before getting burned. So even with sunblock on, we're still getting the benefits of Vit. D, etc.

    I guess what a consumer has to decide is: Do I want to lower my risk of breast cancer, or raise my risk of melanoma?

    Interestingly, caffeine is not recommended for women at risk of breast cancer, but caffeine does help to reduce the risk of melanoma. Go figure!

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  5. Huh. From what I've read, my understanding is that sunblock keeps the skin from absorbing vit D. Is that not the case?

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