So is too much sunlight actually bad for you....????

[Tony*T3]

After several years of them banging on about exposure to sunlight being 'terminal' in terms of the damage it can potentially do to the skin, new thinking seems to put lack of sunlight as potentially the cause of some of the nastier ailments to affect us in later life, such a Parkinsons, Altzimers, and increases the risk of several cancers and auto-immune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and diabetes.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7666749.stm

Interesting article on the effects of a lack of Vitamin D in older people.

Could it be that the constant harping on about covering yourself up from the 'harmful rays of the sun' is just again short sighted advice?

Surely human life developed as a predominatly 'outdoors' lifestyle?

[mechsympathy]

Tony*T3 said:

Could it be that the constant harping on about covering yourself up from the 'harmful rays of the sun' is just again short sighted advice?

AFAIK you only need about 10 minutes sunlight exposure to allow your body to process vitamin D.