“But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings…” (Mal. 3:2) The sun has been condemned as being detrimental for you, so that text like the above would be misunderstood. But recent research reported in the Wellsource Making Healthy Choices Newsletter, Issue 43, October 2007 shows just how beneficial to health the sun is.

“Some sunshine daily is necessary for the skin to produce vitamin D, which we are finding is more important to our health than was realized in previous years. The study authors point out some of the health problems of inadequate sunshine and vitamin D:

· Increased risk of developing rickets, osteoporosis, and osteomaloma

· Increased risk for 16 cancers including breast, ovary, prostate, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma

· Increased risk for chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, and susceptibility to tuberculosis.

“A recent large study in Europe gives further evidence of the protective effect of vitamin D in protecting against cancer. In their summary, the study authors state, “Vitamin D production in the skin seems to decrease the risk of several solid cancers (especially stomach, colorectal, prostate, bladder and kidney cancers).

“The bottom line: Get some sunshine daily if you can. Don’t get too much (most of the vitamin D is made in the first 10+ minutes of exposure). If you can’t get adequate sunshine daily, taking a vitamin D supplement could have significant health benefits.” So let the Sun of righteousness shine on you!