Most of us have heard about the harmful effects the sun rays have on our skin when we are overly exposed to it. In the past century, most public health messages have focused on the hazards of over exposure to the sun.

Did you know that not getting enough of natural sunlight can have negative impact on our health as well?  The right balance of sun exposure can have lots of mood-lifting benefits and can promote sleep too.  Exposure to the Sun’s warm rays at a specific time and in a consistent manner can be beneficial to us. It may heal numerous skin diseases and can also help to boost your mood. Exposure to sun rays also called sunbath therapy has been in use from ancient times due to its disease-fighting properties.

The most widely known benefit of sunlight is its ability to boost the body’s vitamin D supply; most cases of vitamin D deficiency are due to inadequate exposure to the sun. At least 1,000 different genes governing virtually every tissue in the body are now thought to be regulated by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25[OH]D), the active form of the vitamin, including several involved in calcium metabolism and neuromuscular and immune system functioning.

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.

Benefits of soaking in the sun

A growing body of scientific research suggests that completely avoiding the sunlight isn’t such a bright idea. Here is why you should soak up some sunshine every day:

1.  It elevates mood. Sunlight and darkness trigger the release of hormones in your brain.   is thought to increase the brain’s release of a hormone called Serotonin.  Also known as ‘Happiness Hormone’,  Serotonin is associated with boosting mood and helping a person feel calm, focused and happy.

2.  Helps to improve sleep.  The brighter your daylight exposure, the more melatonin you produce at night. Melatonin is a type of hormone that’s produced by the pineal gland in the brain during darkness at night. Also known as the sleep hormone, melatonin has a range of effects on the brain, from improving sleep to synchronizing your biological clocks, and lowering stress reactivity. In addition, the amount of daylight exposure you get is crucial in maintaining a normal circadian rhythm.

3.  It promotes bone growth.  Vitamin D is a hormone that promotes calcium absorption and is essential for bone growth and formation. Since sunlight is a primary source of Vitamin D, the hormone is also dubbed as ‘the sunshine vitamin’. The Vitamin D found in our body needs activation. The sun helps to convert inactive Vitamin D levels to active levels.  According to the World Health Organization (WHO), getting anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes of sunlight on your arms, hands, and face twice or thrice a week is enough to reap the vitamin D-boosting benefits of the sun.

4.  It boosts the immune system.  Researchers now confirm that our immune cells have receptors for vitamin D, which means that it is needed at optimal levels for the immune system to function well. Deficiency in vitamin D is associated with increased autoimmunity and an increased susceptibility to infection. Vitamin D deficiency has also been linked to 18 types of cancer.

Japanese researchers reported that daily supplementation of vitamin D3 reduces the risk of getting influenza A by over 40%. Another study found that people who maintained normal or optimal levels of vitamin D levels developed fewer viral infections, including influenza, and were sick for fewer days than participants with lower levels of vitamin D.

5.  It may reduce the risk of melanoma.   Safe sun exposure may actually protect you from skin cancer!  According to a study published in the Lancet Journal, the skin’s exposure to ultraviolet radiation of short wavelength (UVB) has been associated with a decreased risk of melanoma. The research found that outdoor workers who were exposed to regular sunlight had a lower risk of developing skin cancer compared to their indoor counterparts. Other than that, an adequate amount of sunlight has also been linked to a reduced risk of certain cancers (including colon, ovarian, pancreatic and prostate cancer), suggests a study published in the Environmental Health Perspectives journal.

6.  It promotes weight loss.  Latest research reveals that basking in morning sunshine can reduce body fat and help you shed those extra pounds.  Fat cells deep under your skin can sense light. And when bodies do not get enough exposure to the right kinds of light, fat cells behave differently. The blue-light spectrum of sunlight, a spectrum that can penetrate the skin, can cause subdermal fat tissue to decrease in size. In other words, it can cause fat loss. Thus, the action of sunlight may help one to stay slim or become slim!  As little as 20 to 30 minutes of early morning sun exposure is sufficient for you to lower your Body Mass Index (BMI) and trim your waistline.  But of course, one also needs to exercise and follow a healthy and sensible diet to lose weight.

Save Sun Exposure and How Much Sun Exposure Is Needed

As you can see, having healthy levels of vitamin D is crucial in living your healthiest life!   However, do practise safe sun exposure protection measures.

Allow 10 to 15 minutes or so of unprotected sun exposure to your arms, legs, abdomen and back several times a week. After that, follow up with good sun protection topical application, like a 30-SPF or higher sunblock.

Choose the right time of day.  If your shadow is longer than your body height, you can’t make any vitamin D. Between 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. is the usual window for significant sun exposure.

We’ve lived so much of our days under artificial light, which does not provide the full spectrum of the all-natural light we get from the sun.  For a start, kick start your morning with a little sunshine vitamin to help jump-start your day in a healthy and happy way with absolutely no cost to your bank account.