Benefits of sunlight

 

With all this Covid "stuff" staying at home has been one of the most recurrent activities for most people!

This translates for many of us less outdoor activities and far less exposure to the sunlight! In fact, many of us now spend up to 90 per cent of our lives indoors and our retinas are bombarded with artificial light late into the evening. That means compared with our ancestors, we’re exposed to less light during the day and more light at night. This disruption to the light-dark cycle we evolved with is having a profound effect on our circadian rhythms, shifting sleep patterns and affecting our health way more than we might realise.

Light levels help to regulate alertness and mood. We also rely on sunlight to convert cholesterol in the skin into vitamin D, which helps build strong bones, and plays a beneficial role in our immune system.

Sunlight and serotonin

We’re used to hearing about how too much of the sun’s warm rays can be harmful to your skin. But did you know the right balance can have lots of mood-lifting benefits?

Sunlight and darkness trigger the release of hormones in your brain. Exposure to sunlight is thought to increase the brain’s release of a hormone called serotonin. Serotonin is associated with boosting mood and helping a person feel calm and focused. At night, darker lighting triggers the brain to make another hormone called melatonin. This hormone is responsible for helping you sleep.

Without enough sun exposure, your serotonin levels can dip. Low levels of serotonin are associated with a higher risk of major depression with seasonal pattern (formerly known as seasonal affective disorder or SAD). This is a form of depression triggered by the changing seasons.

A mood boost isn’t the only reason to get increased amounts of sunlight. There are several health benefits associated with catching moderate amounts of rays.

Sunlight and mental health
Decreased sun exposure has been associated with a drop in your serotonin levels, which can lead to major depression with seasonal pattern. The light-induced effects of serotonin are triggered by sunlight that goes in through the eye. Sunlight cues special areas in the retina, which triggers the release of serotonin. So, you’re more likely to experience this type of depression in the winter time, when the days are shorter.

Due to this connection, one of the main treatments for depression with seasonal pattern is light therapy, also known as phototherapy. You can get a light therapy box to have at home. The light from the box mimics natural sunlight that stimulates the brain to make serotonin and reduces excess melatonin.

 

Building strong bones

Exposure to the ultraviolet-B radiation in the sun’s rays causes a person’s skin to create vitamin D. According to one study from 2008Trusted Source , in a 30-minute period while wearing a swimsuit, people will make the following vitamin D levels:

The vitamin D made thanks to the sun plays a big role in bone health. Low vitamin D levels have been linked to rickets in children and bone-wasting diseases like osteoporosis and osteomalacia.

Other benefits
Staying at home has limited the presence of the sun in our bodies, so today we want to remind you of its benefits, so that you can encourage yourself to go out to your door, your balcony or take a short walk to fill up with the sun’s rays and become healthier.

• Increases defenses: exposure to the sun helps increase white blood cells or lymphocytes, the cells responsible for defenses against infections and viruses.
• Improves the sleep quality: the sun’s rays also produce effects on the melatonin hormone, which is in charge of regulating the sleep cycles.
• Increases blood circulation: the sun causes vasodilation in the blood vessels, which reduces blood pressure, increases metabolism and purifies the tissues. <
• It has anti-inflammatory effects: in some dermatological diseases it has anti-inflammatory effects and also promotes the healing of injuries.
• It improves the appearance of the skin: the sun’s rays help prevent and control acne, resulting in cleaner and healthier skin.

Sun exposure and common sense
Finally, remember that everything in excess is counterproductive. We well know that exposure to the sun over long periods of time can cause serious skin burns, and severe damage to the skin over the years.

Sunbathing will have multiple benefits for our health and well-being as long as we do it in a controlled manner. For example, exposing yourself to the sun in the morning or afternoon and avoiding the midday sun, which is when its rays are strongest and causes the most damage to your skin.

In addition, 5 or 10 minutes of exposure twice a week can recharge the vitamin D deposits in our body.  This is very beneficial for growing children as it will strengthen their bodies and bones.

And finally, let’s make the most of this gift that nature gives us every day.