Sunbathing is an integral and much loved part of most people’s holiday but recent reports of over exposure to the sun causing skin cancer have made many people wary of spending too much time in the sun. However paradoxically the over use of sun screens can actually have health problems in itself and under exposure to the sun can also be detrimental to our well being.

Too much high factor sun block can delay sunburn, which is of course an important reminder that you have had too much sun, and in addition it can block the bodies manufacture of vitamin D which in itself helps to protect us from skin, breast and prostate cancer and is invaluable for boosting the immune system in general. Vitamin D also offers us protection against osteoporosis and sunlight can, believe it or not, play a part in lowering cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

Another danger with using sunscreen is due to the fact that they tend to only screen the UVB rays which cause the sunburn and not the UVA ones which actually inflict the cancer causing damage. Therefore people mistakenly feel protected but in fact end up putting themselves at great risk as is evidenced by the continued growth in malignant melanoma, skin cancer, despite increased use of sunblock creams

It is important therefore that we shouldn’t all get a sun phobia as it does plays a vital part in both our physical and mental welfare and a certain amount of time spent in the sun will do us a lot more good than harm.

As mentioned sunlight is important for the production of vitamin D, it also plays a role in the production of melatonin which controls our sleep patterns amongst other things, so a lack of sunlight can lead to insomnia. Melatonin also plays an important part in building a healthy immune system and can help protect against cancer.Serotonin, the good mood hormone, is likewise produced in the body in the presence of sunlight.