It is an established fact that there is a strong link
between UV exposure and different forms of skin cancer, and while 20-30
minutes of sun exposure at a time revealed no sunburn in laboratory
mice, prolonged and regular exposure can have devastating effects. One
week after the lab animals were first exposed to the UV rays, the
scientists tested their beta-endorphin levels, which had skyrocketed
such that they were enough to effectively treat pain in 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 shaved
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 increased after
just one week of sun exposure, and the endorphins basically activated
the opioid receptors in the body the same way that morphine or
prescription painkillers do.
