Tanning Beds Flagged as Source of Chemical Addiction.

Summer is here, and people are rushing to the sandy beaches to get the sun-kissed body they have been craving for the entire year. However, few of us know that the endorphins in our brain, commonly referred to as the “Feel Good Hormones” due to their ability to make us feel happier, can actually lead to what is known as a tanning or sunlight exposure addiction. While it is true that exposing yourself to sunlight for a limited period of time and on a regular basis is very healthy, as it stimulates the natural production of Vitamin D in the body, prolonged exposure can dramatically increase the risk for melanoma, one of the most aggressive forms of cancer. The melanoma rates have sky-rocketed over the past decade, and prolonged sun exposure can also lead to premature wrinkling and aging of the skin.
The study that links endorphins to a tanning addiction was conducted by scientists at the Harvard University, and it suggests that sunlight exposure stimulates the production of endorphins which, in turn, make you feel good and act as natural painkillers. However, this can lead to a vicious circle: if sunbathing stimulates endorphins, and endorphins stimulate the sense of well-being that we all want, then sunbathing can become somewhat addictive. The endorphins are released through the body’s exposure to UV, or ultraviolet radiation.
The endorphins basically act as natural opioids that are automatically released into the blood stream under certain circumstances: smoking or drinking alcoholic beverages can stimulate their release, and apparently it seems that prolonged exposure to sunlight can have the same exposure. Nonetheless, while endorphins can be considered natural anti-depressants, they can also encourage addictive behaviors, and extended sunbathing can increase the risk for skin cancer. Statistically speaking, there are expected to be no less than 76,000 cases of melanoma this year, as the American Cancer Society foresees.
It is a known fact that there is a strong link between UV exposure and different forms of skin cancer, and while a 20-30 minute sun exposure revealed no sunburn on laboratory rodents, a prolonged and regular exposure can have devastating effects. One week after the laboratory rodents were first exposed to the UV rays, the scientists have tested their beta-endorphin levels and they have sky-rocketed so much that they were enough to treat the pain of the mice.
The study was conducted on shaved mice that were constantly exposed to UV rays for five days a week, six weeks in a row. The shaven mice were the equivalent of fair-skinned people, and the researchers kept track of the mice’s endorphin levels on a weekly basis. It came as no surprise to see that the “feel good hormone” levels have increased only just one week of sun exposure, and the endorphins basically activated the opioid receptors in the body the same way morphine or prescription painkillers do.

Six weeks later, at the end of the study, researchers have administered opioid blocking drugs and they noticed that the laboratory rodents started to experience tremors, shaking and other similar withdrawal symptoms. This precious information plays a pivotal role in raising the public awareness and telling people how important it is to limit their sun exposure in order to reduce the risk for developing skin cancer. More than three quarters of the skin cancer types are caused by exposure to UV rays, be it the natural ultraviolet rays or the artificial ones coming from tanning beds.
As Dr. David Fisher, one of the researchers involved in the study claims, we seem to be genetically programmed to become addicted to UV radiation, which can be very dangerous, and this might be somewhat connected to the synthesis of Vitamin D. It is a known fact that sunlight represents the main source of vitamin D for our bodies, but at the time being, it seems to be better to rely on alternative sources of this vitamin that do not pose any risk for cancer.
The addictive character of sun exposure is rather concerning at the time being, given the fact that the melanoma rates have been increasing steadily over the past 30 years, and it is believed that approximately 10,000 will die in 2014 due to melanoma. This is precisely why educating people on the side effects of excessive sun exposure is of paramount importance these days.