Quote: (12-11-2013 11:31 PM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:
Great post by Gio, as always.
A comment: guys on the thread are going way, way overboard with the sun-phobia.
Yes, if you fry your skin in the sun all day every day with no protection, your skin will age faster and it's not a good idea.
But the problem for most men today is not too much sun, it's too little.
Without sunlight and specifically UV exposure, you don't generate enough vitamin D and enough testosterone. As a result, your life sucks in pretty much every way.
I have no doubt that the decline in testosterone levels in western men over the course of the last few generations is directly related to reduced sunlight exposure as a result of more office work and relentless skin cancer based sunscreen propaganda.
I may do a separate post on this later, but the short version is this:
You want to get some sun but not too much. Ideally, get it consistently during the summer around noon to optimize the UV-A/UV-B ratio. You don't need more than 10-20 minutes at a time but during that time you want to sunbathe exposing as much of your body as possible with no sunscreen.
totally agree with that! You DO need some real direct sun on your skin from time to time, for both physical ...
( " Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones, and we get most of our vitamin D from exposure to sunlight. Find out how to make sure you get enough without risking sun damage.
Cover up or protect your skin before it starts to turn red or burn
Everyone needs vitamin D to absorb calcium and phosphorus from their diet. These minerals are important for healthy bones.
A lack of vitamin D – known as vitamin D deficiency – can cause softening and weakening of bones and lead to bone deformities. In children, for example, a lack of vitamin D can lead to rickets. In adults, it can lead to osteomalacia, which causes bone pain and tenderness.
How do we get vitamin D?
Our body creates most of our vitamin D from direct sunlight on our skin. We also get vitamin D from some foods, such as eggs, meat and oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines. " )
... and psychological reasons.
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Summerhealth/...light.aspx