Does The Sun Cause or Prevent Cancer?

Awareness about the risks associated with excess sun exposure has increased over the years, including the development of skin cancer, photoaging, and cataracts. However, it’s important to note that limited sun exposure can provide significant health benefits, and lack of it may lead to cancer.

The Relationship between Sun Exposure and Different Types of Cancer

People mostly associate sun exposure with skin cancer, but research has proven that insufficient sun exposure may lead to other types of cancer too. Therefore, it’s imperative to understand the connection between sunlight, UV radiation, and vitamin D.

There are three types of UV radiation: UVA, UVB, and UVC, but only UVA and UVB reach the Earth’s surface, as UVC gets absorbed by the atmosphere. As per a study published in Nutrients in 2022, sun exposure may decrease incidence and mortality risks of about 23 different types of cancer. Those living at high latitudes with less sunlight exposure may have increased risks related to Hodgkin’s lymphoma, colon, breast, ovarian, prostate, pancreatic, and other types of cancer.

Multiple studies have also demonstrated the correlation between low levels of vitamin D and various types of cancer development. Breast cancer patients with higher 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration face approximately half the death risk as compared to those with lower concentration. In another clinical trial, people who achieved a blood concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D at 55 ng/ml experienced a 35% lower risk of developing cancer compared to those with a concentration of 30 ng/ml.

How Sun Exposure Helps Prevent Cancer

According to Michael F. Holick, a professor at the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, the active form of vitamin D3 has multiple roles in helping prevent cancer. The nutrient plays a crucial role in inhibiting cancer cell growth, reducing angiogenesis, inducing cancer cell maturation and apoptosis, and decreasing cancer cell metastasis. Active vitamin D3 also regulates the immune system by acting on immune cells.

Apart from vitamin D production, sunlight exposure can also regulate the body’s circadian rhythm and influence the secretion of several hormones. Exposure to sunlight generates other photoproducts that have unique biologic activities, which contribute to its several health benefits.

Beneficial UV Radiation in Fighting Cancer

Besides vitamin D, UV radiation generated from sunlight has its benefits. Animal studies have revealed that exposure to UV radiation and vitamin D supplementation leads to a reduction in colon tumors’ size in mice.

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