A recent study reported in the American Journal of Epidemiology has concluded that women with high sun exposure had only one
-half the risk of developing advanced breast cancer (ie. cancer spread beyond the breast) compared to those women with low sun exposure. These findings were for women with naturally light skin color.

The research team was comprised of members from the University of Southern California, Wake Forest University School of Medicine and the Northern California Cancer Center.

They discovered that increased exposure to sunlight – which increases levels of vitamin D in the body — may decrease the
risk of advanced breast cancer.

Esther John, Ph.D., the lead researcher on the study said that they believed that “sunlight helps to reduce women’s risk of
breast cancer because the body manufactures the active form of vitamin D from exposure to sunlight,” said . “It is possible that these effects were observed only among light-skinned women because sun exposure produces less vitamin D among women with naturally darker pigmentation.”

The findings concur with earlier research by Dr. John that concluded that women who reported frequent sun exposure had a lower risk of developing breast cancer than women with infrequent sun exposure.

The research team stressed that sunlight is not the only source of vitamin D. Vitamin D can be sourced from fatty fish, multivitamins, milk, certain cereals and fruit juices.

They said that because of the risks of sun-induced skin cancer, women should not try to reduce their risk of breast cancer by
sunbathing.

Dr. Gary Schwartz of the Wake Forest University School of Medicine stated that “if future studies continue to show reductions
in breast cancer risk associated with sun exposure, increasing vitamin D intake from diet and supplements may be the safest
solution to achieve adequate levels of vitamin D.”