As a tennis player, you spend a lot of time out in the sun. So it is a good idea to make sure you’re not doing something that will cause you health problems later in life.

There is a lot of information and disinformation about the effects of the sun and skin cancer and vitamin D. And it is now officially “Sun Protection Month” says the EPA or FDA or something.

I’ve done a lot of research on this topic. Of the many sources of information is Dr Mercola, at www.mercola.com. He is a source I trust highly. He has a large body of strong research and information worth looking at.

I’m not going to bore you with all the research I did.

What I will do is tell you that I have a Bachelors degree in Physics, so I am not unfamiliar with the scientific method, nor with how research can be skewed to prove anything you want. I also throw in some common sense with my scientific research – for example, if the sun is bad for us, how is it that there is no real record of skin cancer amongst indigenous people?

DISCLAIMER: I should put in a boring disclaimer to prevent being sued, so here it is. I am not a licensed doctor, so clearly I am an idiot and you shouldn’t trust anything I say. If you die from getting exposed to sun, that’s your problem. I am not giving medical advice, only a federally appointed agency could possibly know what is best for your health and you should leave it to them and the companies that give them money to tell you what is best for your health.

Ok, enough said. Not sure my lawyers will like that disclaimer, but lawyers are never really happy are they?

Rules for sun exposure.

1. Sun is good. Start out really slow (just a few minutes a day) and build up to 20 minutes of full sun a day. Keep the sun off your face, especially the eye area where the skin is thin and easily damaged.

2. Too much sun is bad. Too much sun is anything that makes you more than a little bit pink the day after. Big red sun burn is a big no-no.

3. UVB is good for you – it helps your body create Vitamin D which is increasingly being discovered to be a major player in MANY vital body functions, most especially the immune system. Vitamin D is actually a steroid hormone, not a vitamin, and affects over 2000 genes in your body.

4. UVA is bad for you. The highest relative UVA radiation is found at the beginning and end of the day, and in cloudy weather. So getting sun exposure is best done when the sun is high in the sky and there are no clouds. Yes, I know. That’s the opposite of what you’ve been told. Also, sunlight passing through windows has almost only UVA, i.e. sun through windows is bad.

5. Sun creams are mostly bad for you. The only safe skin protection against the sun that I am completely comfortable using is micro-fine Zinc Dioxide. Titanium Dioxide is a close second. Clothing is of course a completely safe option. Oxybenzone and all the other chemicals usually found in sun creams do more damage than good. See this article – “Study: Many sun creams may be accelerating cancer”

6. Don’t use soap on your skin for 48 hours after exposure to the sun. It takes your body 48 hrs to metabolize Vitamin D

Summary: Everything the establishment tells you about sun exposure is wrong, except for the part about not getting a sun burn. Getting limited sun exposure and avoiding getting burned when the sun is at it’s peak has many health benefits.

Enjoy the sun, but don’t over do it!

See you on the court.

Paul