Benefits of Exposing Skin to Sun Can Outweigh Risks of Skin Cancer: Research

Edinburgh University research suggested that the benefits of exposing the skin to sun can outweigh the risks posed to health. The research indicated that sunlight is useful for reducing the blood pressure, stroke risks as well as risks of heart attack. It can even prolong the life.

It was found that the ultraviolet rays exposed from the sun release a compound called nitric oxide which can lower the blood pressure. The heart strokes as well as heart diseases which are associated with high BP can prove to be 80 times more fatal than the deaths due to skin cancer in UK.

Nitric Oxide production is different from the manufacturing of vitamin D in human body. Vitamin D can be increased in the body after exposure to the sunlight.

During their research, the researchers studied blood pressure of 24 volunteers under heat and UV lamps. In a single session, these volunteers were exposed to heat of the lamps as well as the UV rays. In the other session, volunteers were not exposed to the UV rays and so, they were exposed only to the heat of lamps.

The result indicated that volunteers exposed to UV rays during one hour session had significant drop in the blood pressure level, than that of heat-only sessions.

The researchers thus suggested that the UV rays of the sun can lead to benefits. During both the sessions, the level of Vitamin D remained unaffected.

The study will be presented in Edinburgh on 10 May 2013 at largest gathering of the skin experts, International Investigative Dermatology conference.