While most people talk about how dangerous sunlight can be, it is still important. Sunlight provides us with vitamin D and without vitamin D, we’d be in quite the pickle.
Right now with so many people stuck at home and not even bothering to go outside, perhaps we all need a reminder that getting out in the sun is a good thing. Even if you’re just spending 20 or 30 minutes in the sun each day, you’re benefiting your health overall. According to Forbes being in the sun not long elevates our moods but it can also improve the quality of our sleep.
Sure, a lot of people think that exposure to the sun increases our risks of skin cancer but the opposite is true when we are exposing ourselves to the sun safely. A study in the Lancet Journal actually notes that if done correctly it could decrease our risks of melanoma. I know, that might sound crazy but it’s true.
In this day and age, far more people are deficient in vitamin D than we want to come to terms with and it’s only causing more damage overall. Actually there are so many people deficient in vitamin D that it’s been referred to as an ‘ignored epidemic.’ This kind of thing is in every way a global issue.
On Dr. Axe’s website as follows is written in regard to getting sunlight and spending time outside:
One of the most common deficiencies among American adults is a vitamin D deficiency. What makes the vitamin different from most of the ones we need is that our bodies actually produce most of the vitamin D we need, instead of relying on the foods we eat to supply it. Our bodies convert the sunshine we soak up into chemicals that turn it into the vitamin D we all know and love.
However, if we don’t get outdoors enough, our body struggles to get enough sunshine to make vitamin D. Whenever possible, try to get at least 10 to 15 minutes of unprotected time in the sun each day and reap the health benefits of being outdoors.
When we get at least a little sunshine in our lives each day we’re going to be feeling better in a lot of ways. The longer you keep this kind of thing up the more your overall health will benefit. This meaning not only your physical health but your mental health too. You will as time passes have stronger bones and even a healthier immune system.
Getting the right amount of vitamin D is important, it can help protect you from lots of different conditions and could even reduce your risk of coming down with the flu. Vitamin D deficiency can be linked to things like low mood, muscle pain, hair loss, fatigue, and more according to Medical News Today who has their article on the matter medically reviewed. Right now with us all staying home more and more, we’re not all remembering to get outside even if just in our yards and take in that sunlight while we can. Getting the right amount of vitamin D can even benefit your gut health.
Actually one study found that UVB light boosts the ‘richness’ of our microbiome while not entirely understood the findings are quite interesting to see. This study was published in Frontiers in Microbiology back in October of 2019. Those working on this study noted that before exposure the participants had less diverse and balanced gut microbiomes.
For more information on the benefits of getting at least a little sunlight each day check out the video below. The sun is our friend and we need to keep that in mind. Yes, too much sunlight is a bad thing but there is a sweet spot.