Sunlight And Health

In this informative overview of an often-neglected topic, Carlson examines the historical and cultural factors that have created an indoor lifestyles and the medical evidence that suggests that people need to get out in the sun.

The human race evolved under the sun, and for thousands of years lived in harmony with its heat and light. Yet over the last fifty years we have lost this close contact with the sun and its healing powers. We have become afraid of it. However the sun is central to our well being and health. Did you know that: • designing and building sunlit houses can help prevent disease, make us feel happier and save energy • sunlight can help prevent and heal many common and often fatal diseases like breast cancer, heart disease, multiple sclerosis and osteoporosis • before antibiotics, sunlight was used successfully to speed up the healing of wounds • tanning moderately throughout the year is better than avoiding the sun altogether • sudden bursts of strong solar radiation are unnatural and dangerous, protection needs to be built up slowly • early morning sunlight in cool temperatures is particularly beneficial to the body • sunlit hospital rooms provide a better environment for the treatment of clinically depressed people • prolonged exposure to artificial light puts the body under great stress • large numbers of people may be compromising their health through sunlight deficiency • there is a substantial body of historical and contemporary evidence that suggests moderate sunbathing is far more beneficial than we are currently led to believe The light and heat from the sun are indispensable to all nature. Humanity is also part of nature and needs sunlight for health and well being, for vitality and happiness. This book explains how and why we should welcome sunlight back into our lives--safely! It shows how sunlight was used to prevent and cure diseases in the past, and how it can heal us and help us in the future. Richard Hobday, MSc, PhD is a member of the British Register of Complementary Practitioners and has studied traditional Chinese Medicine and Chinese exercise systems in China. Dr. Hobday has many years experience of solar design in buildings and is a leading authority on the history of sunlight therapy.

Skin cancer is Australia’s ‘national cancer’. At least two in three Australians are diagnosed with skin cancer by the age of 70 and over 1000 Australians are treated for skin cancer every day. The good news is that skin cancer is one of the most preventable forms of cancer. This book brings together leading experts in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer, providing practical information about the sun and health. The book begins with an explanation of what skin cancer is and how it forms, then discusses ultraviolet radiation and how to protect yourself, the effects of tanning, myths and truths about sunscreen, getting enough Vitamin D, the impact of the sun on your eyes, early detection and treatment of skin cancer, and life after skin cancer. It is a must-read for anyone living under the Australian and New Zealand sun.

This book is the definitive guide for oncologists, general medical practitioners and other healthcare professionals with an interest in integrative oncology. Guiding you on how to conduct the “ultimate consultation” from an integrative medicine perspective, this text is a valuable educational tool, presenting the latest evidence-based approaches to managing the cancer patient, as well as anecdotes and practical recommendations from Dr. Sali’s decades of clinical experience as a leading expert in integrative oncology. Topics include the role of mind-body medicine in cancer, stress reduction, diet, sleep, sunshine and Vitamin D, exercise, vitamins and other supplements, supportive complementary medicines including Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture, and innovative investigative and treatment technologies. Written by two clinicians who are also educators and researchers, A Clinician's Guide to Integrative Oncology provides practical, evidence-based information and patient advice that clinicians can put into practice immediately.

"Explores the many beneficial effects of sunlight to prevent and treat illness and boost health and well-being. Shares scientific research on sunlight therapy and tuberculosis, as well as studies on sunlight with regard to osteoporosis, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, tooth decay, psoriasis, heart disease, and several forms of cancer. Reveals how the sun can act as a natural disinfectant, killing viruses and bacteria, and how this wisdom was put into use by doctors. Explains how sunlight affects eyesight, sleep, mental health, and the immune system"--

Sunshine plays an important role in all aspects of life but there has been little social analysis of the sun and its place in our world. Recently experts have warned us that the sun's rays are dangerous. Yet, the sun-tan can still be taken as a sign of health. How did we arrive at this ambivalent relationship to the sun and what does this say about our changing attitudes to the human body and environment? Rise and Shine takes as its starting point a view of sunlight as part of our material and social culture. How did the use of sunlight to treat TB and rickets in the early twentieth century alter our relationship to the sun? When was sun-tan lotion invented? By drawing on a range of archive and historical sources, Rise and Shine traces the network of social and medical forces that constitute our current, sometimes problematic, relationship with sun and sunlight.