Need an excuse to get out of the office and into the sun? Well, it turns out there are plenty of health benefits to moderate exposure to the sun. It goes without saying that we attach a (health) warning here - we advocate safe sun exposure not lying on tinfoil basking like a trout. So with that out of the way, what are the health benefits of moderate sun exposure you should know about?
1. Bone health
It’s well known that vitamin D stimulates the absorption of bone-strengthening calcium and phosphorus in the body. However, emerging research also indicates there is a direct correlation between bone density and vitamin D3, which is a fat-soluble vitamin formed during vitamin D manufacture when sunlight hits the skin. It regulates calcium absorption. When you have higher levels of vitamin D3 in your blood, you are at a lower risk of suffering fractures of virtually all types. On the other hand, lower levels of vitamin D3 in the blood are associated with higher rate of all types of fractures. This is why sun exposure is especially important for bone health in older adults.
2. Ease the (blood) pressure
A group of University of Edinburgh researchers found that a compound called nitric oxide that helps lower blood pressure is released into the blood vessels when sunlight touches the skin. This finding of the study was important because until then it was thought that sunlight's only health benefits to humans was to stimulate production of vitamin D. Richard Weller, Senior Lecturer in Dermatology, and colleagues, however, found that sun exposure can not only improve health, but also prolong life. That's because the benefits of lower blood pressure include cutting risk of heart attacks and strokes. These benefits, they say, "far outweigh the risk of getting skin cancer."
3. Improve brain function
Scientists have linked vitamin D with a number of functions throughout the body, including the functioning of the brain. One study led by neuroscientist David Llewellyn of the University of Cambridge, assessed vitamin D levels in more than 1,700 men and women from England, aged 65 or older and found that cognitive function reduced the lower the subjects' vitamin D levels were. However, more studies have found sunlight could help spur nerve cell growth in the hippocampus, which is the part of the brain responsible for memories.
4. Don’t be SAD
Sunlight deprivation can cause a condition called seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD is a form of depression common in the winter months. It is also common in people who work long hours in office buildings and hardly get out for some sun. Moderate sun exposure, however, increases levels of natural antidepressants in the brain - on sunny days the brain makes more serotonin, a mood-lifting chemical, than on darker days.
5. Zzzzz
Your daylight exposure is vital in maintaining a normal circadian rhythm. These rhythms include physical, mental, and behavioural changes that follow a 24-hour cycle and respond to light and darkness in the body’s environment, according to the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). When sunlight hits our eyes, a message is sent to the pineal gland in the brain and production of melatonin (a hormone that makes us drowsy and helps us sleep) is shut down until the sun goes down again.
Your body gets a signal that it’s no longer night and this helps to maintain a normal circadian rhythm. When it gets dark outside, your body gets the signal again and you feel tired and drowsy at bedtime. Low levels of melatonin production at night due to overproduction during the day has been linked to poor sleep quality, especially in older adults. Try to get some sunlight early in the morning so your body knows it is day and triggers the pineal gland to stop releasing melatonin. To avoid confusing your circadian rhythm, try not to sit in dim settings during the day.
6. Soothing skin Sunlight promotes healing of skin disorders, such as acne, psoriasis, eczema, jaundice and other fungal skin infections. In one study, a four-week outdoor sunbathing therapy was successfully used to significantly clear symptoms of psoriasis in 84 per cent of subjects. While sun exposure has a therapeutic effect on the skin and sunlight has been successfully used to treat skin disorders, this alternative treatment method should be done under medical supervision to prevent negative side-effects of UV radiation and to ensure the benefits outweigh the risks. Obviously too much sun is far from soothing on the skin…sun bathers beware.
7. Be immune
Sun exposure can help suppress an overactive immune system, which could explain why sunlight is used to treat autoimmune diseases like psoriasis. And since white blood cells increase with sun exposure and they play a key role in fighting diseases and defending the body against infection, moderate sun exposure is very helpful for your immune system.
8. Bright eyes
Vitamin D has been tentatively linked to lower incidence of cataracts, and studies indicate good D levels correlate to a lowered risk of macular degeneration as you age.
9. Improve metabolism
Several studies show correlation between sun exposure and an increase in metabolism, although the reasoning isn’t cut and dry. One hypothesis that decreased time in the sun leads the body to believe it’s winter, causing the body’s metabolic processes to shift into a winter fat-storing mode.
10. Reduce risk of Type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a lifelong disease. Some studies suggest that vitamin D can reduce the risk of developing it (one study found that those with high levels were 40 per ceny less likely than those with low levels).
So sunshine does have its benefits, but it’s still the number one cause of skin cancer. Experts recommend no more than 15 to 20 minutes of direct sunlight daily for a healthy adult. After that, apply sunscreen with a minimum Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30. Remember skin color, where you live and how much skin you expose to the sun affect how much vitamin D you can produce. Always keep children safe in the sun and read more about vitamin D here.
