The Sun Fights Cancer

Sunlight powerfully influences health. Get sunburned and you increase your risk of skin cancer. But get just the right amount of sun and your skin produces vitamin D that fights cancer.

Research at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Queensland, Australia, shows that if you are born in an area that gets strong sun (like Australia or Florida), you have a lower risk of pancreatic cancer. In this study, scientists also found that if you have a light complexion and sun-sensitive skin, you also run a lower risk of cancer of the pancreas.

Experts advocate getting about 15 minutes of sun exposure daily at around noon, when sunlight is richest in the ultraviolet light that causes the skin to make vitamin D. But don’t let yourself get burned.