How is sunlight good for your health?
2020
“It’s not all bad!” is the best defense that can be put forward for the sun. The first thought about the sun for a majority is the harm it can cause from sunburns, premature aging to cancer. But health experts are giving a good report about the sun, confirming there are several ways in which the sun is good for our health. 5-30 minutes of sunshine early in the day, before the sun gets bright, is a natural dose that can significantly boost our health. What gifts of nature (from the sun) could we be missing out on, with most of our time being spent indoors?
What are the facts about sunlight’s benefits on our health?
Sunlight, being natural and free, has numerous health benefits we shouldn’t be shy to utilize; the sun’s UV rays help the body make Vitamin D, use and take in calcium that are vital for bone formation and strengthening. People exposed to sunlight have lower blood pressure, which means reduced cases of stroke and heart disease. Contrary to popular belief, the sun’s UV rays have also been found to suppress melanoma(skin cancer). A study established people exposed to sunlight had a lower risk of getting skin cancer compared to those indoors. Vitamin D from the sun is also an important element in beefing up the immune system.
It is already happening!
It has also been discovered that the sun’s UV rays affect a person’s quality of life by improving one’s mood and sleep. For example, Students that get more sunlight do better in their tests, and employees with good workplace daylight exposure improve their sleep and activity. The benefits of the sun are many, but with busy schedules getting those 5 minutes to bask in the sun may not be practical. And getting sunlight to dark rooms in buildings such as basements is difficult and expensive. However, innovative companies such as Parans have developed technology to make natural light available indoors up to 30 floors down.