Letter - Sunshine for the elderly

To the editor:

It was 14 years ago this summer that my mother reluctantly disclosed to us the presence of a large, dark brown mass on her chest. It was a malignant melanoma, which would quickly spread to her brain and take her life only a few months later. What puzzled me was that this cancerous growth was on a part of her body normally covered by her clothing, not exposed to the sun.

Here are the recommendations of Professor Hartmut Glossman of the University of Innsbruck, from his recently published paper in the medical journal Gerontology (December 22, 2011). In brief, he recommends that the elderly expose themselves to moderate, regular sun exposure as often as possible during seasons when the sun is high in the sky. He bases his recommendation on numerous studies showing that sun exposure extends life and helps prevent numerous diseases.

He recommends the elderly avoid sunburns, cover their head and face with a brimmed hat, applying sunscreen to their face and hands but otherwise expose as much skin as possible to sunlight. He dismisses the risk of malignant melanoma, pointing out that, “There is no evidence that that the aging population is in danger of malignant melanoma from moderate (regular) sun exposure, or that sunscreen protects against malignant melanoma.” He points out that people from Greece, Italy and Spain disappear to the beach every August but the incidence of malignant melanoma in those countries is vastly lower than in cloudy Britain.

Bottom line, especially for us old folks? Get moderate, regular sun exposure as often as you can during the summer when the sun is high. In winter and spring, supplement with vitamin D capsules. They’re cheap, safe and help keep you healthy!

Charles Reinert ND, PhD,

Helping to Heal Clinic

Tracy, MN

Tags: opinion, letters