THE PRICE PAID FOR WARM, SUNNY SKIES

The ads lure vacationers to warm places with beaches, ocean views and plenty of sun. The pictures show tanned bodies lying next to swimming pools with the sun high in the sky. Everyone looks so healthy and vibrant. No one seems to have a care in the world. We have all felt the warmth of the sun on our skin at some time in our lives and we can only imagine how we would feel if we were one of the lucky ones in the picture.

We all need some sun exposure; it's our primary source of vitamin D, which helps us absorb calcium for stronger, healthier bones. Exposure to sunlight is important to prevent and/or in lowering the incidents and severity of heart disease. Sunlight markedly decreases cholesterol levels in the blood and in the linings of the blood vessels and arteries. The Sun and Health Institute (http://www.sunstock.com/sunlight.html#Sun as Friend) report that study was done using 30 patients who had hardening of the arteries. Each of these patient's blood cholesterol levels was t...