Is Sun Exposure and Tanning Really Healthy?

The safe sun exposure and tanning guidelines have changed its now considered healthy to tan. Learn the safest way to get a beautiful glowing tan.

Tanning Good or Bad - As a fare skinned red head with two daughters of the same type I've done my homework on tanning.

I love the sun and have two daughters who love swimming, there is no way we are getting away without tanning.

The love of water and swimming has set me on the course of deep research, one burn on a red headed child and you know what I mean. I was determined to learn both if tanning really is safe and if so how to best tan safely without burning.

© Copyright Katie McMurray 2012. All Rights Reserved.

1. Tanning Better for Some than Others

2. How Tan Safely

3. Healthy Tanning

4. Safe Tans

5. Vitamin D and The Sun

6. Soaking Up the Sun Year Round

7. Moisturizing Broad-spectrum Sunscreen

8. Foods Rich in Vitamin D

9. Is Vitamin D Harmful?

10. The Good News About Tanning

Tanning Better for Some than Others

There are certain skin types that can withstand more exposure to the sun than others.

The maximum amount of sun required to achieve the optimal health benefits is15 minutes of unprotected exposure on a daily basis. You must know your own body to be certain of the healthy amount of sun for you. While 15 minutes is a safe amount of time for many, others would be severely burned within that time increasing their risk of skin cancer.

The amount of sun your body can tolerate without burning before the 15 minute maximum time is the safe amount of time you can enjoy safely absorbing the suns rays without protection. Learning this and protecting your skin before, but not until, you reach that boiling point is the safe healthy amount for you while tanning. You may safely enjoy tanning after this point by applying sunscreen.

How Tan Safely

A safe healthy dose of exposure to the sun is needed in order for our bodies to maintain optimal health.

Healthy Tanning

Tan Without Burning

The healthy rule is to tan without burning, anytime you burn your skin from direct sun exposure or protected exposure you risk skin cancer.

The rule is this, burning period in any shape form or fashion is bad. Once again, remember your bodies tolerance level and note burning is ruining your tanning efforts as you know what comes next, peeling! Kiss your tan goodbye!

A beautiful tan last longer and looks better if achieved without burning.

Safe Tans

It is possible to tan without damaging your skin or health

A tan last longer without over tanning and by applying moisturizers or lotions afterwards. Plus you must fight the signs of aging by limiting your tanning sessions.

You can have the most beautiful tan ever by tanning on each side 15 minutes per day. This produces an even long lasting tan all the while having your bodies defenses working in your favor, and really who has more time than that anyway?

Vitamin D and The Sun

Natural sun exposures aids the body with healthy vitamin D levels

The Benefit and Need for Vitamin D

Vitamin D is needed to help the body absorb calcium, a vital nutrient, which is needed to maintain strong healthy bones. The human body makes vitamin D when directly exposed to the sun.

This is key as you must get direct exposure to the sun for 15 minutes a day. This does not happen from setting near a sunny window inside the house or office at work.

While any sun expousre feels great and is uplifting to your spirit it will not provide your body with the sun needed to produce vitamin D.

The Real Benefit - We must actually get our bodies out and in the sun in order to enjoy the benefits.

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Soaking Up the Sun Year Round

Our bodies cannot benefit from the suns rays while wearing protective clothing or sunscreen.

While we all know we need vitamin D to absorb calcium we also know to much direct sun exposure causes skin cancer. This is the balancing act we face, sun and vitamin D or sun and skin cancer.

Is there a happy medium? Yes there is! Your skin type is a contributing factor to determine whether you choose the direct sun dosage or supplements.

Many feel it much easier to take a walk, set on the deck or do yard work to get their vitamin D. You can absorb healthy amounts of the suns rays on any sunny day, summer, winter or fall. This is a good option for darker skinned people as the 15 minutes a day does not threaten their health with sun burning. These people don't need to worry about the balance of vitamin D rich foods in their daily diets as do their counterparts.

Moisturizing Broad-spectrum Sunscreen

For light or fare skinned people who burn easily in less than under the 15 minutes and can only tolerate a few minutes of daily rays, foods and supplements are the best alternative route for you. Your body cannot make enough vitamin D to support the bodies need and ability to help absorb the needed calcium with only a few minutes of unprotected sun exposure.

While you may enjoy a few minutes a day in the sun dietary supplements are vital. Or better yet create a healthy combo that works for you. Get your healthy sun exposure as your skin type allows and eat natural whole foods rich in vitamin D.

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Foods Rich in Vitamin D

The best foods providing your body with vitamin D are delicious and tasty adding variety to your diet.

Healthy Alternatives

Fish sources rich in fatty oils including tuna, salmon, and mackerel are the best providers.
Smaller amounts are found in beef liver, egg yolks, and cheese.
Some vitamin D is found in mushrooms, marketers try boosting this benefit by exposing the mushrooms to ultraviolet light.

Most all of the U.S. dairy's milk supply is fortified with 400 IU of vitamin D per quart.
Note: Foods made with milk, for example, cheese, yogurt and ice cream are not always fortified.
Breakfast cereals add vitamin D as do some brands of yogurt, orange juice, margarine, and soy milks or drinks, always check the label to know for certain.

Is Vitamin D Harmful?

What is a good healthy dose of vitamin D and can you get to much, a good question to consider.

Just as most anything in large doses can be harmful so can vitamin D. If your levels of vitamin D become to high you may experience signs of toxicity. These signs are loss of appetite, constipation, nausea, vomiting, weakness and weight loss.

The safe levels of vitamin D

1,000 to 1,500 IU per day for infants
2,500 to 3,000 IU per day for children ages 1-8
4,000 IU per day for children 9 and older, adults, pregnant and lactating mothers.

Over doses of vitamin D most always occurs from overuse of supplements as in vitamins.

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The Good News About Tanning

There are very healthful aspects to sun exposure, tanning and getting enough vitamin D

The Good News About Tanning

Tanning in excess does not cause overloads of vitamin D due to the bodies ability to limit the amount of vitamin D it produces. It is for this reason 15 minutes of unprotected sun exposure on a daily basis is a good rule of thumb and all the more reason to enjoy tanning on a daily basis.

katiem2, on 02/12/2012

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