Talk about a rock and a hard place.
Doctors have been telling you for years to make sure you put on sunscreen when you go outside during a brilliantly bright day, to ensure you don't get skin cancer.
But now a new study shows some exposure to the sun helps your body make Vitamin D - a substance that can potentially ward off a large number of other types of even more serious cancers.
What's a body to do?
Scientists admit it's a dilemma that's not easily solved in these health conscious days.
But they have a compromise solution you might need to think about the next time you step outside in short sleeves and a tank top.
They're now suggesting you go out in the mid-day sun for 10-15 minutes of exposure without any protection, to help build up your Vitamin D supply.
What's caused scientists to give "D" a sudden A-plus?
A four year study out of Creighton University in Nebraska appears to show women who took the substance had a substantially reduced risk of cancer than those who eschewed it.
Some 1,200 females were involved in the research.
Those taking the big "D" regularly were found to have a 60 percent reduction in cancer infections.
That's at least two times the impact doctors say smoking has on the same disease.
It's not the first time researchers have come to similar conclusions.
A study done by the University of California appears to show getting just enough of this vital vitamin could lessen your chance of getting breast, colon and ovarian cancer.
The researchers traversed a controversial area, looking at the rates of those kinds of cancers in dark skinned people from Caribbean countries vs. their white counterparts in more than 63 different studies.
It found those with lighter skin absorbed sunlight better and had fewer of the suspected cancers.
And they concluded that was too much of a coincidence to be overlooked.
The authors of the California study say taking a daily supplement is safe and the health benefits are so great that, to quote them, "use of Vitamin D as a public health measure should not be delayed."
But too much can cause other problems, so be sure to ask your doctor or nutrionist how much is right for you.
Vitamin D comes naturally through sunlight, but because of our short summers and the use of sunblock to prevent skin cancer, most Canadians don't get anywhere near enough of it.
And even the amount in most supplements is considered too little to help.
The answer? You can get a lot of what you need from the foods you eat.
Here's a look at the consumables that have Vitamin D on the menu:
Milk
Cod liver oil (1 tablespoon)
Cooked salmon
Mackerel
Tuna fish
Sardines
Butter/Margarine
Pudding (made with Vitamin-D- fortified milk)
Many ready-to-eat cereals (check ingredients on box)
Egg (found in the yellow yolk)
Liver
Beef
Swiss cheese
Cream
Oysters
Yogurt
Ice cream
Tofu