Heres a Healthy Fact of the Week: Heres one more reason to dread the end of daylight saving time: Some sunshine might help slow the development of obesity and type 2 diabetes — in mice, at least. A new study examined the relationship between the suns rays and metabolism, and found that shining UV light on overfed mice slowed their weight gain and caused the animals to display fewer warning signs of type 2 diabetes, a condition that affects more than 29 million Americans, with another 86 million at risk, according to the American Diabetes Association. A compound called nitric oxide, which is triggered in the body after exposure to sunshine, might be to thank, scientists from the Telethon Kids Institute in Perth, Western Australia, and the Universities of Edinburgh and Southampton, said in the journal Diabetes. When the mice received a cream containing nitric oxide topically, the same effect occurred. Previously, studies have linked nitric acid and UV rays to a lower risk of high blood pressure, to the point that researchers have said the heart health perk outweighs the skin cancer risk. Scientists noted that something specific about the UV rays might cause the blood-pressure benefit, perhaps explaining why vitamin D supplements have been shown to be less effective than simple sunlight exposure. Most experts say just 10 minutes of direct sun exposure a day is enough for more-than-adequate vitamin D levels. The nutrient is also found in some foods, such as fish, egg yolks and fortified juices and cereals. Dr. Shelley Gorman, of the Telethon Kids Institute and lead author of the study, said in a press release, Our findings are important as they suggest that casual skin exposure to sunlight, together with plenty of exercise and a healthy diet, may help prevent the development of obesity in children. The findings might also be one reason sun seekers live longer than those who dont spend time in sunlight, Dr. Richard Weller, a dermatologist at the University of Edinburgh, said. Studies such as this one are helping us to understand how the sun can be good for us. We need to remember that skin cancer is not the only disease that can kill us and should perhaps balance our advice on sun exposure. Currently, skin cancer is by far the most common form of cancer in the United States. An estimated 9,700 individuals will die from melanoma this year — as a comparison, 234,051 people list diabetes as an underlying or contributing cause of death every year, the ADA states. -Annie Hauser, Weather
Posted on: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 20:29:32 +0000
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