Enhances Your Mood
What Are the Benefits of Sunlight?
- 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.
- Additional sunlight benefits. The sun’s benefits go beyond fighting stress. ...
- Sunlight and moderation. ...
- Outlook. ...
Vitamin D
Skin Cancer
- Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) This type of skin cancer almost always occurs on sun-damaged skin and is usually pink, shiny and raised.
- Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) This skin cancer is also caused by exposure to the sun, but can also occur in burn scars (from either heat or radiation treatment) or from ...
- Malignant Melanoma. ...
Treats Seasonal Depression
5 Ways the Sun Impacts Your Mental and Physical Health
- Increased Vitamin D. Vitamin D has some important functions in the body. ...
- Improved Mood. It turns out “sunny disposition” is more than just an expression: Researchers at BYU found more mental health distress in people during seasons with little sun exposure.
- Higher Quality Sleep. ...
- Stronger Bones. ...
- Lower Blood Pressure. ...
Relieves Stress
Early morning sunlight is an important source of cholecalciferol or vitamin D3(Pexels) Step out and enjoy the sunshine even if for only a few minutes. Bright light can not only improve your mood but your overall health and of course sleep. "View bright ...
A Better Night's Sleep
Why does sunlight is actually good for You?
What if avoiding the Sun is bad for You?
How does sunlight affect your mood?
Does sunlight improve mood?
What are 5 benefits of the sun?
A Healthy Summer: 5 Benefits of Sun ExposureThe sun's light kills bacteria. Surprisingly enough, sunlight does kill bacteria! ... Sunlight reduces your blood pressure. ... Sun exposure reduces cancer risk. ... The sun strengthens your bones. ... Sunlight improves your sleep quality.
What are the benefits of having a sun?
Sunlight is essential for human health and well-being. The health benefits of sunlight include generating the production of vitamin D, supporting bone health, lowering blood pressure, preventing disease, and promoting good mental health.
How much sunlight do I need a day?
The Bottom Line To maintain healthy blood levels, aim to get 10–30 minutes of midday sunlight, several times per week. People with darker skin may need a little more than this. Your exposure time should depend on how sensitive your skin is to sunlight. Just make sure not to burn.
What happens if I don't get sunlight?
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.
What are the benefits of sunlight?
Health benefits of sunlight. Of all the health benefits of sunlight, initiating the process of producing vitamin D in the body may be the best known. When UVB rays hit human skin, they interact with the 7-DHC protein there to produce vitamin D3.
Why is sunlight important?
Sunlight is essential for human health and well-being. The health benefits of sunlight include generating the production of vitamin D, supporting bone health, lowering blood pressure, preventing disease, and promoting good mental health.
What are the benefits of UVB?
Their other benefits include: promoting a sensation of well-being and improving mood. boosting the immune system. relieving pain.
What is light therapy?
Light therapy is a standard treatment for SAD and can be an effective alternative to sunlight. Light therapy regimens, which take place under a medical professional’s supervision, require individuals to sit in front of specially constructed, very bright light boxes for a prescribed amount of time each day.
What are the benefits of sun exposure?
Its benefits include. Trusted Source. : supporting healthy bones. managing calcium levels. reducing inflammation. supporting the immune system and glucose metabolism. Researchers have noted a link between exposure to the sun and lower blood pressure levels, with reduced death rates from cardiovascular issues.
Does sunlight cause diabetes?
They suggest that exposure to sunlight triggers the skin to release stores of nitrogen oxides, which cause arteries to dilate, lowering blood pressure, and may reduce the impact of metabolic syndrome. According to other research, increased sun exposure may also protect people from the following diseases: type 1 diabetes.
Is sunlight good for depression?
Depression and SAD. Alternatives. Summary. From promoting the growth of plants and crops to keeping people warm, sunlight is essential for life. In addition, many people enjoy the feeling of sunlight, and there is increasing evidence to support its many health benefits. A widespread awareness of the fact that too much exposure to UV radiation ...
Top 7 Benefits of Sunlight
You know that feel-good moment you always get when sitting in the sunlight? Well, there’s a reason for that.
How to Get More Sunshine
How much sunlight do you need per day? This depends on your skin type and the UV index in the area you live, but a general rule of thumb is getting five to 15 minutes of direct sunlight at least three times per week, when possible.
Risks and Side Effects
Exposure to light at night strongly suppresses melatonin, which can interfere with sleep timing and sleep quality. Sources of indirect sunlight may interrupt circadian rhythm and result in sleep disruption.
Get "Sunlight" When You Can't Get Outside
"I have used this lamp every day for 20 days now, as soon as I wake up, for 30 minutes. I started noticing the positive affects within the first week. NO KIDDING. I felt an increase in my energy level but more importantly, I didn't feel down, my mood has definitely elevated. I would describe it as bursts of positivity throughout the day.
Eat Breakfast in the Sun
Studies have shown that morning sun exposure is best because it signals your body to stop producing melatonin. While the UVB rays can’t get through a window to stimulate vitamin D production, you should still at least sit by a window while you eat breakfast.
Take a Sun Break
To increase your vitamin D levels, make it a point to step outside for at least 15 minutes a day. The best time to do this is in the middle of the day when the sun is strongest, keeping in mind that your arms, legs, and torso absorb the most sun and your hands and face absorb the least.
Take a Vacation
If you work indoors and don't get outside very much, consider taking a vacation. This is especially a good idea if you live in a northern climate that doesn't get much sun in the winter. Go somewhere tropical, where there's plenty of suns to soak in.
About the Author
Brandon Landgraf is the Digital Marketing Manager for Carex Health Brands. He finds passion and fulfillment in creating content that enhances, improves, and enlivens others' quality of life. All of his written work is formulated to not only offer essential advice and tips but back it with proven studies and experts.
About Carex Health Brands
Carex is your one-stop shop for home medical equipment and for products that assist caregivers with providing the best possible support and care for their loved ones. Carex Health Brands has been the branded leader in in-home, self-care medical products for over 35 years.
What were the effects of UVB radiation on skin cancer?
When atmospheric scientists first called attention to possible chemical destruction of the stratospheric ozone layer in the early 1970s, one predicted consequence of the increased UVB radiation was a rise in skin cancer rates, especially in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Latin America.
Does sun exposure help TB?
Dermatology professor Barbara A. Gilchrest of Boston University School of Medicine says that, whereas sun exposure was shown to improve cutaneous TB, sanatorium patients with pulmonary TB likely responded as much or more to rest and good nutrition than to UVR.
Is sun exposure good for health?
Although most of the health-promoting benefits of sun exposure are thought to occur through vitamin D photosynthesis, there may be other health benefits that have gone largely overlooked in the debate over how much sun is needed for good health [see “Other Sun-Dependent Pathways,” p. A165].
Does sun exposure cause cataracts?
Both forms can damage collagen fibers, destroy vitamin A in skin, accelerate aging of the skin, and increase the risk of skin cancers. Excessive sun exposure can also cause cataracts and diseases aggravated by UVR-induced immunosuppression such as reactivation of some latent viruses.
Does solar energy help rickets?
Around the time the solar solution to rickets gained widespread traction in medical circles, another historic scourge, tuberculosis (TB), was also found to respond to solar intervention. TB patients of all ages were sent to rest in sunny locales and generally returned in good health.
Why is sunlight important for autoimmune disease?
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.
Why is sun exposure important for bone health?
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. 3. Sun exposure improves brain function.
What happens when the sun hits your eyes?
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 clear signal that it’s no longer night and this helps to maintain a normal circadian rhythm.
How much sun exposure is needed to prevent skin cancer?
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.
How do genes affect sunlight?
Genes are a factor of how humans metabolize sunlight; as is skin type. For instance, people with pale skin that burns easily in the sun are likely to get skin cancer if exposed to too much sun. The timing and duration of exposure is also a crucial factor when it comes to how our bodies metabolize sunlight.
Why is lower blood pressure good for you?
That’s because the benefits of lower blood pressure include cutting risk of heart attacks and strokes. These benefits, says, Weller “far outweigh the risk of getting skin cancer.”. Advertising. 2. Sun exposure improves bone health.
How does sun exposure affect a baby's growth?
Many cultures around the world recognize this fact and expose children to mild sun to boost growth and height. 9. Sun exposure enhances the immune system .
