All about the UV Index
One of the key factors in personalizing your sun exposure is knowing the UV Index in your area so that you don’t burn. The UV Index is a measurement of the strength of the...
Assessing Sun Exposure: Skin Type, UV Index, and Duration
Sunshine is important for health, but before you soak up the sun’s rays it’s important to assess your situation so that you don’t burn. Sun exposure needs to be individualized according to skin type,...
Vitamin D and Skin Cancer
There are three primary types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and melanoma. A vast majority of skin cancers are BCC (~80%) or SCC (~20%). These non-melanoma skin cancers...
The Healing Power of the Sun: A History of Phototherapy
Current public health messaging tells us to avoid the sun due to skin cancer fears, but this advice ignores the fact that humans have a long cultural history of appreciation of the sun and...
Better cognitive function with increased sun exposure
Cognitive impairment is often a gradual, long-term process that affects many older individuals. In October 2018, results from a study assessing the association between sun exposure and cognitive function were published in the journal...
Lower Type 1 Diabetes and Cancer Rates Associated with Higher UVB
Drs. Cedric Garland and Sharif Mohr, along with others on their research team, have published numerous ecological studies on the association between UVB irradiance and the incidence of type 1 diabetes and many different...
Disease prevention with the sun: Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, auto-immune disease that affects the central nervous system. In MS, the immune system attacks the protective covering of nerves which disrupts the brain’s ability to communicate with the...
Lower colorectal cancer risk with increased sun exposure
According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States in both men and women. Both inadequate sun...
Benefits of sun exposure: vitamin D and more!
During the month of May, Grassrootshealth is raising awareness about the importance of the sun for health. While sun exposure, certain foods, and supplements provide the body with vitamin D, there are many vitamin...
How much time do GrassrootsHealth participants spend in the mid-day sun?
Since we know that sun exposure is an important factor in the natural synthesis of vitamin D, we ask our D*action participants a few questions about their sun habits. In each questionnaire, participants are...