CATIE ALLEN spends as much time as she can soaking up the rays at Byron Bay, 50 km from her Casuarina home, enjoying running, surfing or walking along the beach.
It’s what thousands of Australians love to do, every day, every year.
A Swiss study of 30,000 women aged between 25 and 64, published in the Journal of Internal Medicine, shows that people who get into the sun could be helping their body to fight cancer and heart disease.
The study found women with active sun exposure were at a lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
It found women who avoided the sun had significantly higher mortality rates and avoiding the sun could be as bad for your health as smoking.
Nonsmokers who avoided the sun, the study found, had the same life expectancy as smokers with high sun exposure.
The findings came as no surprise to Catie.
“I’m in the sun all the time, it’s so important to boost your health and happiness,” she said. “I’m always encouraging my family and grandparents to get out and get some vitamin D … it’s super important for your well-being and boosting your mental health, too.”
Another study in Australia hopes to provide insight into vitamin D levels and cancer, cardiovascular and other diseases.