Sun Safety
by Dr. Rhonda Steinke, ND
As a Naturopathic Doctor, one of
the principles I took an oath to is Docere, Latin for "doctor as
teacher," where we empower patients through education. One of my
favorite subjects to educate on is sun safety. It is important to be
aware of dangers due to sun overexposure and how to prevent skin
damage. Over exposure of sunlight can cause burns, spots, aging, and
can lead to some types of skin cancers. The sun is strongest from 10
AM-5 PM, so it is best to use sun block during this time, especially if
exposure is longer than 20 minutes. Sun block creates a physical
barrier to the sun's rays. Make sure the sun block you use contains
healthier ingredients like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. Be cautious
of sun blocks that contain the ingredient paraben, for a study found
this preservative to induce sun damage.
Anti-oxidants have been shown in multiple
studies to prevent skin damage and help facilitate cellular repair after
skin damage. There are a variety of anti-oxidants you can purchase in
supplement form, however simply increasing consumption of colorful fruits and
vegetables can provide those anti-oxidants as well.
It is also important to know the
benefit of sunlight for it has the capacity of converting Vitamin D into
its active form. Vitamin D is a hormone that is essential to an
optimal immune system and has been shown to help prevent cardiovascular
disease and cancer. Simply 10-15 minutes of daily sun exposure can be
an adequate amount of time to produce optimal amounts of Vitamin D.
Dr. Steinke practices in Central Austin. She is a friend of Peoples and
is a frequent co-host on the "Let's Get Healthy" Radio Show. Dr.
Steinke serves as the President of the Texas Association of Naturopathic
Physicians with the goal of increasing access to Naturopathic Medicine.
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