Menu
Dr. Weil Logo Dr. Weil Logo Weil™ Andrew Weil, M.D.
  • Health & Wellness
    Health & Wellness
    Body, Mind & Spirit
    • Addiction
    • Allergy & Asthma
    • Autoimmune Disorders
    • Back Pain
    • Bone & Joint
    • Cancer
    • Colds & Flu
    • Dental & Oral
    • Diabetes
    • Disease & Disorders
    • Ears, Nose, & Throat
    • Feet
    • Gastrointestinal
    • Hair, Skin, & Nails
    • Headache
    • Heart
    • Insects & Parasites
    • Liver & Kidney
    • Mental Health
    • Pregnancy & Fertility
    • Respiratory
    • Sexual Health
    • Sleep Issues
    • Stress & Anxiety
    • Vision
    Balanced Living
    • Exercise & Fitness
    • Gardening
    • Healthy Home
    • Healthy Living
    • Meditation & Inspiration
    • Meet Dr. Weil
    • Pets & Pet Care
    • Technology
    • Wellness Therapies
    Health Centers
    • Aging Gracefully
    • Children
    • Condition Care Guide
    • Men
    • Women
  • Diet & Nutrition
    Diet & Nutrition
    Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Pyramid
    Anti-Inflammatory Diet Pyramid
    Cooking & Cookware
    Healthy Cooking & Cookware
    Diets & Weight Loss
    Diets & Weight Loss
    Food Safety
    Diets & Nutrition - Food Safety
    Nutrition
    healthy nutrition
    Recipes
    healthy recipes
  • Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Herbs
    herbal remedies - herbs
    Supplements & Remedies
    suppliments & remedies
    Vitamins
    ask-dr-weil_vitamins-supplements-herbs_vitamins-topnav
  • Ask Dr. Weil
  • Blogs
    Blogs
    Bulletins
    The Legacy Of Living Yes | Spontaneous Happiness | Andrew Weil, M.D.
    Health Tips
    Healthy Drinks To Start Sipping | Andrew Weil, M.D.
    Spontaneous Happiness
    blog_spontaneous-happiness_topnav
  • COVID-19
  • Dr. Weil Origins Skin Care
  • Marketplace
  • Healthy Aging
  • Podcasts
  • Meet Dr. Weil
  • Accessibility
  • Subscribe
Can Sunbathing Prolong Your Life?
Subscribe
Press "Enter" to search
  1. Home
  2. Health & Wellness
  3. Body, Mind & Spirit
  4. Hair, Skin, & Nails

Can Sunbathing Prolong Your Life?

After all we’ve heard about the dangers of spending too much time in the sun, I’ve read that people who sunbathe actually live longer. Is this a joke?

 

Andrew Weil, M.D. |October 9, 2017

sunbathing prolong life
2 min

It’s no joke, but don’t toss your sunscreen just yet. Here’s the story: a Swedish study published in 2016 found that women sunbathers lived longer than those who avoided the sun. Researchers who tracked 29,518 women for about 20 years found that those who spent more time in the sun had less heart disease and fewer non-cancer/non-heart disease deaths than women who spent less time in the sun. (Men were not included in the study.) Not surprisingly, the sunbathers had an increased risk of skin cancer, but their skin cancers had “better prognosis”.

The study found that the women sun worshippers had less heart disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and pulmonary disease, as well as fewer deaths from disorders other than cancer. Over time, however, they were more likely to be diagnosed with cancer. The investigators attributed this to the fact that these women lived longer – by seven months to two years.

The study doesn’t prove that additional sun exposure is the reason these women lived longer – it just shows an association between sunbathing and less heart disease and other possible causes of death. The researchers tried to account for other factors that could have explained the difference: asking whether the sunbathers smoked less or followed healthier diets, but none of these seemed significant. (They had no access to exercise information.) In fact, the researchers reported that at age 60, women smokers who were among the most active sunbathers had a two-year-longer life expectancy during the study period than smokers who avoided the sun. Nonsmoking women who avoided the sun had the same life expectancy as sunbathing smokers.

We don’t know what it is about sun exposure that might account for the findings. Since the sun’s ultraviolet light triggers production of vitamin D in the body, it is possible that higher levels of D might explain the benefits of sunbathing, especially for people living at high latitudes. Further studies are needed to investigate this possibility.

While I wouldn’t bank on sunbathing to add years to your life, it is true that most adults are not getting enough vitamin D, which we need for bone health and, more and more research suggests, for protection against a number of diseases, including many types of cancer. Our best source of vitamin D is sun exposure. The trick is to know how much is enough. That depends on where you live and your skin type.

Andrew Weil, M.D.

 

Source:

Pelle G. Lindqvist et al, “Avoidance of sun exposure as a risk factor for major causes of death: a competing risk analysis of the Melanoma in Southern Sweden cohort.” Journal of Internal Medicine, October 2016, doi: 10.1111/joim.12496

Read more tips, recipes, and insights on a wide variety of topics from Dr. Weil here.

vitamin d for sunburn
Vitamins

Vitamin D For Sunburn?

sun protective clothing
Hair, Skin, & Nails

Sun Protective Clothing?

Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging

Start Your 14-Day Free Trial

Free Newsletters

Stay Connected With Dr. Weil

Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Follow Dr. Weil’s Food Pyramid

Get Dr Weils Newsletter Updates

Exclusive Lifestyle, Nutrition & Health Advice

Dr. Weil's FREE health living advice delivered to you!

By clicking "Subscribe," you agree to the DrWeil.com Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive emails from DrWeil.com, and you may opt out of DrWeil.com subscriptions at any time.

Trending Now

8 Natural Skin Care Tips | Personal Care | Andrew Weil, M.D.
Hair, Skin, & Nails

8 Natural Skin Care Tips

Woman applying sunblock protection on shoulders
Hair, Skin, & Nails

A Chronic Skin Condition?

A Connection Between Grapes And Preventing Sunburn? Healthy Skin | Andrew Weil, M.D.
Hair, Skin, & Nails

A Connection Between Grapes And Preventing Sunburn?

woman holding and applying suntan lotion on a beach
Hair, Skin, & Nails

A Painful Reminder of Shingles?

Get Dr Weils Newsletter Updates

Stay Connected With Dr. Weil - Get Free Newsletters Right In Your Inbox

Exclusive Lifestyle, Nutrition & Health Advice

Dr. Weil Logo Weil™ Andrew Weil, M.D.
Information
  • About Us
  • Press Information
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Manage Email Subscription
Trending Articles
8 Natural Skin Care Tips | Personal Care | Andrew Weil, M.D.
Hair, Skin, & Nails

8 Natural Skin Care Tips

Woman applying sunblock protection on shoulders
Hair, Skin, & Nails

A Chronic Skin Condition?

Daily Tips
Mushrooms In My Life: Some Notes From Dr. Weil
Health Tips

Mushrooms In My Life: Some Notes From Dr. Weil

HA_Asian-Mushrooms_1x1_663893996
Health Tips

Concerned About Cancer? 6 Asian Mushrooms To Consider

  • Flickr
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram

Terms of Use | Privacy Policy

Information on this website is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. You should not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication or other treatment. Any third party offering or advertising on this website does not constitute an endorsement by Andrew Weil, M.D. or Healthy Lifestyle Brands.

©Copyright2023 Healthy Lifestyle Brands, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. www.drweil.com