The real reason we ignore the dangers of sun exposure
Most people have heard that too much sun exposure is bad for you, but that doesn’t stop most of us from walking outside on a…
The dangers of sun exposure. (Shutterstock)
Most people have heard that too much sun exposure is bad for you, but that doesn’t stop most of us from walking outside on a hot day without sunscreen or protective clothing. While some of us do it for the chance to be tan, there may be another reason why we deliberately ignore all the health warnings.
According to researchers from Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts General Hospital, ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun releases endorphins in the body–those feel-good hormones that are a part of the pleasure response in the brain.
SEE ALSO: Why sunscreen should only be one part of your sun protection routine
This means, according to researchers, that people can be addicted to UV exposure in the same way people become addicted to illicit substances. And to prove their theory, the experts conducted a UV exposure trial using laboratory mice.
Sun exposure can be addictive. (Shutterstock)
The rodents in the study and the environment were selected to be the equivalent of a fair-skinned human of average tanning ability being exposed to 20-30 minutes of ambient midday sun in Florida during summer. In just one week, the mice showed signs of elevated endorphin levels in the blood stream at levels high enough to be considered pain-relieving. The effects, stated researchers, were similar to those seen on drugs such as heroine and morphine.
After 6 weeks of the UV exposure, mice were given opioid-blockers to prevent the effects of sun exposure. Those mice then experienced withdrawal symptoms, including tremors, teeth chattering and shaking. The mice also avoided the areas of their habitat where they had been given the opioid-blockers.
“This information might serve as a valuable means of educating people to curb excessive sun exposure in order to limit skin cancer risk as well as accelerated skin aging that occurs with repeated sun exposure,” said senior author David Fisher as reported by MNT. “Our findings suggest that the decision to protect our skin or the skin of our children may require more of a conscious effort rather than a passive preference.”
SEE ALSO: Having darker skin doesn’t mean you can forget the sunscreen
Fisher explained that humans are genetically programmed for addiction to sunlight as a means of providing vitamin D. This was likely a survival mechanism generations ago, but there are now much safer ways for humans to make sure they get their allotted vitamin D intake.
The Office of Dietary Supplements indicates the best foods to gain vitamin D from include:
- Cod liver oil, 1 tablespoon.
- Swordfish, cooked, 3 ounces.
- Salmon (sockeye), cooked, 3 ounces.
- Tuna fish, canned in water, drained, 3 ounces.
- Orange juice fortified with vitamin D, 1 cup (check product labels, as amount of added vitamin D varies).
- Milk, nonfat, reduced fat, and whole, vitamin D-fortified, 1 cup.
- Yogurt, fortified.
- Margarine, fortified, 1 tablespoon.
- Sardines, canned in oil, drained, 2 sardines.
- Liver, beef, cooked, 3 ounces.
- Egg, 1 large (vitamin D is found in yolk).
- Ready-to-eat cereal.
- Cheese, Swiss, 1 ounce.
