Finding out that your family member or close friend has breast cancer can bring about a very sad experience. It’s because breast cancer, one of the most common types of cancer in women, is a serious condition that can lead to one’s death.
The US National Cancer Institute defines breast cancer as “the cancer that forms in the tissues, usually the ducts and lobules, of the breast.” It kills a large number of women between the ages of 45 and 55 every year.
All women have a risk of suffering from this disease. However, do you know that you and your loved ones can actually cut your risk of advanced breast cancer in half with the help of one simple, natural trick? Yes, by sun tanning or exposing yourself to the sun for a few minutes every day, you can actually protect yourself against this type of cancer, based on research from Stanford University.
Sun Exposure May Slash Your Breast Cancer Risk
The study examined light-skinned women with high levels of sun exposure and found that their risk of developing advanced breast cancer was reduced by 50 percent compared to women who had lower levels of sun exposure. It attributed the sun’s ability to prevent cancer to the Vitamin D levels produced by the skin upon sun exposure.
“With sun exposure, UVB radiation from the sun converts cholesterol in your body into Vitamin D, one of the most potent anti-cancer vitamins there is,” explains Dr. Joseph Mercola.
Vitamin D & Its Health Benefits
What is Vitamin D? It is a group of fat-soluble prohormones obtained naturally from sun exposure. Known as the “sunshine vitamin,” recent research has revealed that it can also help protect you from many diseases, such as:
- 16 types of internal cancers
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Diabetes
- A variety of autoimmune disorders
- Cardiovascular disease
Other benefits of Vitamin D include boosting your bone health and keeping your blood levels of calcium and phosphorus within normal range.
Tanning Beds & Sunlight Can Help You Obtain Vitamin D
For your protection against breast cancer, Dr. Mercola recommends that you sunbathe as much as you can, especially during summer, but warns not to get yourself sunburned. His advice is to stay out long enough in the sun for 15 minutes every day to let your body produce optimal Vitamin D levels.
But it’s a different scenario in the winter. Because it is impossible to get as much sunshine as you can get during this very cold season, Dr. Mercola’s recommendation is to find a safe tanning bed that will help you get your dose of Vitamin D. Safe tanning beds that come without electromagnetic radiation and are installed with health-enhancing lights – UVB, UVA, Red and Infrared – can help raise your Vitamin D levels and decrease your risk of breast cancer.
It’s interesting to know that breast cancer prevention isn’t an impossible thing. By taking care of your health, which means getting your essential Vitamin D, along with eating nutritious foods, working out regularly, and having a proper lifestyle – you and your loved ones can stay away from this debilitating and horrifying condition.
If you want to know more about the benefits of Vitamin D, check the Articles section for more information.
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