12 Health Benefits Of Sunlight & Sun Exposure, Side Effects And Safety Tips

Basking in the sun for fresh vitamin D has been a topic of divergence, with some opposing the idea pointing out the negative impacts it can have on your body, while others swear by the health benefits sunlight can provide. The moment you hear the word 'sunlight', instinctively one goes on to assimilate it as being harmful to your skin and overall health. However, the warm rays of the sun in the right balance can have a lot of benefits for you.

Why Is Early Morning Sunlight Important?

There is nothing beautiful compared to the sun's rays falling on your face in the early morning. Exposing your skin to the morning sunlight is known to have greater health benefits than the afternoon or the evening sunlight.

When the sunlight touches your skin, it gets absorbed by melanin, the pigment in your skin, and gets stored and processed into new compounds that are used for important bodily functions. These include the production of vitamin D, strengthening bones, reducing chronic inflammation, increasing immunity, etc ^[1] .

Exposure to the sun helps in the release of an opiate (ß-endorphin) in the body, which implies that the rays of the sun have healing powers. In addition to that, the combination of ultraviolet light and infrared light in the morning hours help lower inflammation and pain. Infrared light increases the absorption of UV rays in a healthy way as compared to the afternoon sunlight.

Various studies have pointed out that moderate sun exposure may outweigh the risks and that the heart-health benefits of sun exposure far outweigh the risk of developing skin cancer. In the current article, we will take a look at the possible health benefits sunlight exposure can have, along with safety tips and side effects of extended exposure.

Health Benefits Of Sunlight

1. Improves the circadian rhythm

Sun exposure improves the circadian rhythm i.e., the sleep and wake cycle. Darkness stimulates the release of melatonin, a hormone responsible for helping you sleep at night. And at daytime, sunlight signals the brain to stop producing melatonin, keeping you awake.

A study showed the association between the sleep-wake cycle and sun exposure. Participants who were exposed to natural sunlight fell asleep easily at night, thus regulating sleepiness and wakefulness ^[2] .

2. Helps in weight loss

According to recent study reports, adults who receive sunlight early in the morning are more likely to lose weight. The research says that there is a positive effect of sunlight on white fat cells that are present right beneath the skin. It helped shrink the fat cells in obese people with type 1 diabetes ^[3] .

3. Lowers depression

Exposure to sunlight triggers the hormone serotonin which is linked to boosting mood. If there is a drop in serotonin levels, it can lead to depression with seasonal pattern (seasonal affective disorder or SAD) which usually happens during the winter season. Sunlight cues special areas in the retina, which triggers the release of serotonin ^[4] .

4. Keeps the bones healthy

The sun's rays are an excellent source of vitamin D, also called the sunshine vitamin. Vitamin D can be synthesized in the skin through a photosynthetic reaction triggered by exposure to UVB radiation. As vitamin D accumulates in the body, it enhances calcium and phosphorous absorption, controlling the flow of calcium in and out of the bones to manage bone-calcium metabolism ^[5] .

5. Reduces the chances of cancer

Increased sun exposure is said to elevate the risk of skin cancer; however, studies have also shown that a moderate amount of sun exposure can be good for your health too. According to research studies, people who live in places where there is a little amount of sunlight are more likely to get cancer compared to those who live in sunny areas ^[6] . These include prostate, pancreatic, ovarian and colon cancer.

Vitamin D deficiency contributes to developing the risk of various cancers such as colon and breast cancer. According to a study conducted in the University of California, supplementation of vitamin D has contributed toward a 60 per cent reduction in the cancer risk, asserting the fact that sun exposure can help reduce the risk of cancer.

Vitamin D Deficiency: Symptoms, Causes And Treatment

6. Treats skin conditions

Sunlight can help treat various skin conditions like psoriasis, acne, jaundice, and eczema. Another benefit of sunlight is that it helps reduce the chances of major chronic diseases such as asthma, multiple sclerosis, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and other viral and bacterial infections ^[7] .

7. Reduces the risk of diabetes

Diabetes is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease and people with diabetes have a higher risk of early cardiac mortality. There is a strong link between vitamin D, especially vitamin D3 and sunlight. A deficiency of vitamin D contributes to lesser insulin secretion and lesser insulin action ^[8] .

8. Strengthens immunity

Researchers claim that sunlight can help boost your immunity by fighting various infections. The sun rays penetrate the skin and reach to other parts of the body's cells to ward off bacterial microbes. The low levels of blue light in the sun rays make disease-fighting T cells in the skin move faster to get into action to fight against the disease. The sunlight activates key immune cells by increasing their movement.

9. Lowers blood pressure

Sun exposure can help reduce blood pressure and slash the risk of heart disease, according to a study published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. Sunlight alters the level of nitric oxide in the skin and blood, thereby reducing blood pressure. When the nitric oxide is exposed to sunlight, small amounts of it are transferred from the skin to the blood vessel. This causes a drop in pressure ^[9] .

10. Boosts brain function

As per the findings of the study conducted by researchers at the University of Cambridge, exposure to sunlight has been proven to promote the nerve cell growth in the hippocampus - the part responsible for forming, organizing and storing of memories ^[10] .

11.Lowers Alzheimer's symptoms

According to clinical research, Alzheimer's patients who are exposed to the sun throughout the day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. followed by darkness at night showed better and improved mental condition ^[11] . As per the study, Alzheimer's patients exposed to bright light had fewer symptoms of depression, nighttime wakefulness and agitation.

12.Boosts growth in children

Some studies revealed that exposure to sunlight can help improve the growth of strut in infants. Exposure in the first few months of a baby's life affects how tall the child grows ^[12] .

Apart from the aforementioned, sunlight exposure also has the following health benefits:

• Sets circadian rhythm ^[13]
• Improves mood, as sunlight can improve the production of dopamine and serotonin^[14]
• Supports longevity
• Supports heart health
• Protects against brain disorders^[15]
• Improves dental health^[16]
• Help prevent diabetes ^[17]
• Increases wakefulness
• Supports reproductive health ^[18]

Side Effects Of Excessive Exposure To Sunlight

Just like anything else, too much sun may also harm your health ^[19] .

Tips For Safe Sunbathing

The right amount of sun exposure depends on your skin type, health status, latitude and time of the day. According to studies, for a pale-skinned person, half an hour in the sun can produce 50,000 IU (1.25 mg) vitamin D, whereas, for a tanned person, the exposure creates 20,000-30,000 IU, and 8,000-10,000 IU in dark-skinned people ^[20] .

Therefore, a good and safe approach would be to start with 10 minutes of sun exposure per day and slowly build up.

Some tips for a safe sunbathing are as follows ^[21] :

• Wear SPF 30 or more and apply it 15 minutes before going outside.
• Use SPF on the top of your head if it's not protected by hair, as well as your hands, feet, and lips.
• Avoid tanning beds.
• Take breaks in the shade when you get hot.
• Drink water if you're spending prolonged periods in the sun.
• To avoid skin redness, eat tomatoes as they contain a large amount of lycopene which can help prevent the impact of UV rays on the skin ^[22] .

On A Final Note...

Exposure to sunlight does have its benefits - although it is not devoid of any side effects. Experts recommend no more than 15 to 20 minutes of direct sunlight daily for a healthy adult. Also, apply sunscreen with a minimum Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30. Stay safe and take all the vitamin D in!