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I'm a huge fan of taking pharmaceutical shortcuts, but a small amount of daily sunlight gives you much more than a vitamin D tablet. There are benefits in mood,

I'm a huge fan of taking pharmaceutical shortcuts, but a small amount of daily sunlight gives you much more than a vitamin D tablet. There are benefits in mood, sleep, and eyesight. Plus the many fun things that can be done outside alone or with friends. I used to think that going outside (and exercise in general) was something I had to "make time for" and spend energy on. These days I realise that going outside actually boosts energy. I work to live, not live to work.

QUFB 10y ago
That same small amount of sunshine also raises the risk for melanomas and skin cancer. Vitamin D supplementation makes sense.
- scurvy 10y ago
  30 minutes a day causes cancer? What did we ever do before long sleeves? Must have been an evolutionary miracle!
  - mikestew 10y ago
    Whatever did we do? One possibility is that "we" got skin cancer at higher rates than we do now. Or at least we would have had we lived much past the age of thirty. And that's just one possibility that sprang immediately to mind, I'm sure there are others that are more sound were one to give it more than the brief milliseconds of thought that you and I obviously did.
    - taeric 10y ago
      You do know that thirty was limited mainly from infant mortality, war, and complications in childbirths, right? In particular, men could live a very long time. Often did.
- tominous 10y ago
  Not necessarily; see radiation hormesis [1]. Small amounts can be beneficial even if large amounts are harmful. We also know there's a link between more sunlight and less incidence of other types of cancer. It's still unknown whether this is mediated by Vitamin D or other mechanisms. [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiation_hormesis https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiation_hormesis
mahyarm 10y ago
I agree sunlight in general is important and I try to seek it out a lot. Being in an office with a good amount of sunlight is important for me. It's just when I heard that what is really needed for "good" vitamin D production made me realize that it would be too much of a relative sacrifice. It made me accept just using vitamin D pills. Being outside a lot in your coat (because its cold) during the day will give you a lot of the benefits of sunshine, but it won't give you good vitamin D production despite all of the other benefits unfortunately.

QUFB 10y ago

That same small amount of sunshine also raises the risk for melanomas and skin cancer. Vitamin D supplementation makes sense.

scurvy 10y ago
30 minutes a day causes cancer? What did we ever do before long sleeves? Must have been an evolutionary miracle!
- mikestew 10y ago
  Whatever did we do? One possibility is that "we" got skin cancer at higher rates than we do now. Or at least we would have had we lived much past the age of thirty. And that's just one possibility that sprang immediately to mind, I'm sure there are others that are more sound were one to give it more than the brief milliseconds of thought that you and I obviously did.
  - taeric 10y ago
    You do know that thirty was limited mainly from infant mortality, war, and complications in childbirths, right? In particular, men could live a very long time. Often did.
tominous 10y ago
Not necessarily; see radiation hormesis [1]. Small amounts can be beneficial even if large amounts are harmful. We also know there's a link between more sunlight and less incidence of other types of cancer. It's still unknown whether this is mediated by Vitamin D or other mechanisms. [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiation_hormesis https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiation_hormesis

mahyarm 10y ago

I agree sunlight in general is important and I try to seek it out a lot. Being in an office with a good amount of sunlight is important for me. It's just when I heard that what is really needed for "good" vitamin D production made me realize that it would be too much of a relative sacrifice. It made me accept just using vitamin D pills. Being outside a lot in your coat (because its cold) during the day will give you a lot of the benefits of sunshine, but it won't give you good vitamin D production despite all of the other benefits unfortunately.