Video Friday: Summer vacation may be over, but the summer sun is still here! Here’s how and why you should take advantage of the sun.
Sun Avoidance Can Harm Your Health
Greetings!

In the video featured today, Dr. Christiane Northrup, MD, reminds us about why we all need to get enough sunlight. It is vital to our health. While ancient cultures used the sun to heal all kinds of illnesses and to maintain health, today we are told by many health authorities to stay out of the sun. Negative messages about the sun and skin cancer, even tanning, have scared people into staying indoors or covering up at all times when going outdoors, to the point where the body is unable to reap the benefits of sunshine and UV exposure.

Listen in to hear about the key benefits of sunshine that many people are likely lacking, and how to get the most while avoiding over exposure.
Watch the Video
After watching the video, be sure to make note of our added details below!
Why Everyone Needs Sunlight
Here is a quick summary of what this video discusses, along with additional information and details from GrassrootsHealth:

  • Ancient cultures used sunlight for healing. The sun was mentioned in ‘medication recipes’ and for certain medical preparations, disinfection, and photochemical reactions. Sunlight was used to control germs on skin and in the environment. In fact, scientific proof of the healing effects of the sun was first recorded by Greek physicians, starting with Hippocrates, around 460-370 BC.

  • The sun is meant to be our main source of vitamin D. Our bodies naturally produce vitamin D from the sun under the right circumstances, such as the time of year or day, amount of clothing or sunscreen we are wearing, and other conditions. Given the chance, the body produces enough vitamin D from sunshine to reach recommended levels of 40-60 ng/ml (100-150 nmol/L).

  • Sunshine induces the production of vitamin D, nitric oxide, and serotonin, all of which have beneficial effects on our health. Full spectrum sunlight contains wavelengths that offer even more for our health.


  • Avoiding sun is as detrimental to health as smoking. A study among 30,000 Swedish women by Lindqvist et al. found that “smokers in the highest sun exposure group were at a similar risk as non-smokers avoiding sun exposure, indicating avoidance of sun exposure to be a risk factor of the same magnitude as smoking.”  


  • Are you using sunshine to get your vitamin D? How much do you need? Everyone needs different amounts of sunshine to make enough vitamin D without burning, and may need additional vitamin D from food and supplements to reach the scientists’ recommended level of 40-60 ng/ml (100-150 nmol/L). Testing your level and retesting after starting a new supplement dose or sunshine routine is necessary to ensure levels are achieved and maintained.


  • Don't avoid the sun... Get healthy sun exposure to benefit your health!

Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D from Sun, Supplements, or Other Sources?
Let us know what your daily vitamin D routine is while testing your levels. Contribute your data as a citizen scientist - what other discoveries can we make together?

Having and maintaining healthy levels of vitamin D and other important nutrients can help improve your health now and for your future. Choose which to measure, such as your vitamin D, omega-3s, and essential minerals including magnesium and zinc, by creating your custom home test kit today.  Take steps to improve the status of each of these measurements to benefit your overall health. You can also track your own intakes, symptoms and results to see what works best for YOU.

Enroll and test your levels today, learn what steps to take to improve your status of vitamin D (see below) and other nutrients and blood markers, and take action! By enrolling in the GrassrootsHealth projects, you are not only contributing valuable information to everyone, you are also gaining knowledge about how you could improve your own health through measuring and tracking your nutrient status, and educating yourself on how to improve it.
Help everyone Move Research into Practice with vitamin D and other nutrients! As a special gift to everyone, in honor of the science, we have created a special scholarship fund for anyone to donate to that will go towards helping others participate. Your donation will allow anyone to get help with funding their participation when they need it.

Text-to-give: Text Daction to 44321 to add to our Scholarship Fund.
What does the Research Say about Vitamin D & COVID-19?
Be sure to educate yourself on the benefits and importance of vitamin D for immune health, and take steps to ensure you and your loved ones are getting enough.

You can review all of the COVID-19 and immune health information shared by GrassrootsHealth on this page.
What Does it Take YOU to Get Your D to 40 ng/ml (100 nmol/L)?
Did you know that everyone responds differently to vitamin D supplement amounts - by up to 6 times!? Your health could be greatly affected by making sure you have a vitamin D level of at least 40 ng/ml (100 nmol/L). Help us help you.
Don't get stuck with low vitamin D levels - learn more about what might affect your level and response to supplementation, and the steps to take through each season to keep levels in your target range.
Children with Diabetes Research Foundation
The mission of CWDRF is to fund research leading to the cure and prevention of Type 1 diabetes. For over 20 years, they have been the venture capitalists of diabetes research, getting new, clinically relevant, innovative research off the ground. CWDRF is currently funding the D*action Type 1 Diabetes Prevention project with GrassrootsHealth.
Sperti Vitamin D Sunlamps
The Sperti Vitamin D Sunlamp, model D/UV-F, provides the special UVB rays needed for your body to produce Vitamin D. It is the only FDA recognized ultraviolet product for Vitamin D production in the human body, and independent studies have verified its effectiveness.

See how it works for you.
Look for our special project enrollment opportunity with Sperti!
Highly Absorbed Magnesium
Dr. Carolyn Dean is a medical doctor, naturopath, and author of over 35 books including best seller The Magnesium Miracle. With 40 years of experience, she offers proprietary, unique formulations that give every individual at any stage of wellness or illness the necessary building blocks for sustained health, vitality and well-being.

Participate in our special Magnesium*PLUS Focus project offered by RnAReSet.
Have a beautiful and HEALTHY day.
Text-to-give: Text Daction to 44321
Onwards,
Carole Baggerly
Director, GrassrootsHealth
A Public Health Promotion & Research Organization Moving Research Into Practice NOW!
315 S. Coast Hwy 101, Suite U-87
Encinitas, CA 92024
(760) 579-8141