Not all sun rays are bad, although prolonged sun bathing during the hottest times of the day is indisputably linked to skin cancer and premature skin aging. But, controlled daily exposure of 20 to 30 minutes increases the body’s vitamin D production, and can actually reduce cancer risk at 16 body sites, according to an article in a recent issue of Anticancer Research. The 16 sites include six sites of gastrointestinal cancers, three female sites (breast, ovarian, endometrial), three urogenital cancer sites, two types of lymphomas and two upper aerodigestive tract cancers.

The study compared cancer mortality rates by state for Caucasian Americans for the years from 1950 to 1969 and from 1970 to 1994. Researchers discovered that mortality rates for breast, colon, ovarian, rectal and some other cancers were 30 to 50 percent lower in areas like the south and southwestern states where UVB levels are more intense compared to the northeastern states. The study controlled for other cancer risk factors such as smoking and alcohol consumption.

What’s the take-home message for seniors? “As you age, vitamin D production decreases considerably, which is a serious health concern as vitamin D deficiency has been linked to increased cancer risk,” says Dr. Grant. “If possible, go outside for 20-30 minutes without sunscreen, depending on the amount of melanin in your skin–darker skin would require longer sun exposure. Otherwise, take 1000-2000 IU of vitamin [D.sup.3] per day. Be careful, however, not to combine it with vitamin A, which competes with vitamin D. Also, you can take higher doses for a short time if you have low vitamin D levels.”