Carole Baggerly is executive director of GrassrootsHealth, a public health research organization.

As the dog days of summer drag on, a scientific consensus paper published last week reveals that people of all ages should take advantage of the midday sun because of its numerous health benefits. Why? Because sensible UV exposure is essential for people to achieve sufficient vitamin D levels, as well as to harness the sun’s other health benefits.

This may seem counterintuitive to the sun avoidance messages we receive on a regular basis from health care groups, and even our government. Unfortunately, that viewpoint fails to acknowledge that exposure to UV rays is the catalyst for a host of natural, intended biologic functions.
Scientists now understand that sunlight and UV exposure have been shown to boost the immune system, relieve pain, promote relaxation and help to heal wounds. Sunlight is also linked to lower risk for a host of deadly diseases.

That’s why GrassrootsHealth coordinated the production of this paper, written by scientists from the University of California San Diego, Creighton University and Boston University Medical Center, among others. These researchers aren’t trying to turn conventional wisdom on its head, but merely recommending that Americans don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. Embracing sensible sun exposure is key. That means avoiding sunburn — but not avoiding the sun.

Vitamin D — which is naturally present in very few foods — is typically synthesized into the body through exposure to UVB rays. The 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, which advises the U.S. government on nutrition issues, identified vitamin D as one of four “nutrients of public health concern,” because getting insufficient amounts is linked in scientific literature to adverse health outcomes.

This is why sun exposure is so important — vitamin D deficiency is a colossal health problem today and it cannot be solved around the world without embracing sensible sun exposure, period.

Exposure to UVA rays has been shown to reduce blood pressure, which helps decrease risk for stroke and coronary heart disease. And sun exposure has also been linked to Type 1 diabetes prevention. Incidence of this condition, where the body does not produce insulin, peaks in the winter and spring, and the further one lives from the equator, the higher the risk. However, there is an almost 90 percent lower risk of Type 1 diabetes by age 31 for people who take vitamin D supplements beginning in infancy.

Another important area of focus in the paper is pregnant women; vitamin D is critical for both mother and baby. One recent study found that women in India who were given vitamin D supplements had a 61 percent lower risk of pre-term labor, while another demonstrated that supplements lower the risk of gestational diabetes and preeclampsia (a dangerous condition during pregnancy that is characterized by high blood pressure).

And while UV rays are linked to skin cancer (and as such, should be taken in moderation), the vitamin D we produce from sun exposure is linked to lower risk of many other cancers: colon, breast, pancreas, ovary, brain, bladder, kidney, multiple myeloma and prostate.

The fact that leading health organizations caution people to limit their sun exposure has a significant downside. Consider this: Of the 30 leading causes of death in the United States in 2010, 19 have been linked to low vitamin D status. If the United States increased vitamin D levels, we could potentially see the reduction of 336,000 deaths each year out of the 2.1 million attributed to these diseases, and the direct costs of care would be reduced by roughly $130 billion per year.

While we can’t assume the sun is the antidote for everything, the scientists who wrote this groundbreaking paper recommend seeking — rather than avoiding — moderate, non-burning UV exposure.

Finally, the paper also calls for the prevailing public health agencies, including the Surgeon General’s office, to correctly research the benefits and harms of sun exposure and to incorporate all of the science into more meaningful sun-care recommendations. By creating a well-defined measurement system that can immediately show individuals how much sun exposure is right for them, we can minimize the risks while appreciating the benefits.

In the meantime, enjoy the summer sun the right way — by avoiding sunburn, not the sun — and be healthier for it!