> Melanoma? True, the sun worshippers had a higher incidence of it—but they were eight times less likely to die from it.
> Over the 20 years of the study, sun avoiders were twice as likely to die as sun worshippers.
> Avoidance of sun exposure is a risk factor of a similar magnitude as smoking, in terms of life expectancy.
> Vitamin D now looks like the tip of the solar iceberg. Sunlight triggers the release of a number of other important compounds in the body, not only nitric oxide but also serotonin and endorphins. It reduces the risk of prostate, breast, colorectal, and pancreatic cancers. It improves circadian rhythms. It reduces inflammation and dampens autoimmune responses. It improves virtually every mental condition you can think of. And it’s free.
> the current U.S. sun-exposure guidelines were written for the whitest people on earth
> People of color rarely get melanoma. The rate is 26 per 100,000 in Caucasians, 5 per 100,000 in Hispanics, and 1 per 100,000 in African Americans.
> Leffell, the Yale dermatologist, recommends what he calls a “sensible” approach. “I have always advised my patients that they don’t need to crawl under a rock but should use common sense and be conscious of cumulative sun exposure and sunburns in particular,”