Published on May 18, 2016
May 18, 2016
The ultraviolet index or UV index is a measurement of the strength of the sun’s ultraviolet rays. It is 0 in the dark of night and 10-11 in the middle of a summer day with no cloud cover. This index was developed by Canadian scientists in 1992. It has now been adopted by the World Health Organization and most government entities as a mechanism to assess the sun’s strength and make recommendations on sun exposure.
The UV index is one of the three key factors for managing your sun exposure. You need to know your skin type, which determines your reaction to sun, the UV index, how strong the sun is, and then determine the proper duration to give you a minimal erythemal dose of UV exposure to produce vitamin D and other healthy properties – including nitric oxide – without burning. You just want to get a *smidge* pink the next day.
Also in this newsletter, Dr. Garland writes about how the US should focus its efforts to improving health. We in the USA have 113 times the number of deaths from cardiovascular disease and non-skin cancer compared to deaths from skin cancer. As a nation, we really do have to quit being so preoccupied with trying to prevent skin cancer. It’s costing us thousands of lives each year.