8 Ways Sunlight Can Benefit Your Health
Key takeaways:
Sunlight has various benefits that can improve your health and well-being. One of the main benefits is the way it supports vitamin D levels, which play an important role in your health.
Some people only need 10 minutes of sunlight to see health benefits. People with darker skin tones need more time in the sun to get the same effects, since darker skin absorbs sunlight differently.
If you need more time in the sun, there are some simple ways you can work it into your daily schedule, like taking your coffee breaks outside.
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Table of contents
You have probably heard about the potential dangers of being out in the sun too long. But did you know that getting the right amount of sunlight can be good for your health and well-being?
Keep reading to learn how the ultraviolet (UV) light in the sun’s rays can be beneficial and how to ensure that you’re getting enough sunlight.
What are the benefits of sunlight?
From providing vitamin D to reducing high blood pressure and boosting mood, we explore eight potential benefits of sunlight below.
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1. Sunlight provides vitamin D
Being exposed to sunlight enables your body to make vitamin D from cholesterol in your skin cells. Known as the “sunshine vitamin,” vitamin D benefits your health in many ways, including:
Supporting your bone and muscle health
Regulating your blood pressure
Regulating your immune system
Maintaining the health of your blood vessels
Keeping your brain working well
Regulating your blood sugar
2. Sunlight strengthens bones
Vitamin D supports bone health. The sunshine vitamin helps your body absorb calcium, which is essential for strong bones and helps prevent conditions like osteoporosis and osteopenia. And having good bone health can also help you avoid bone fractures (breaks).
3. Sunlight kills bacteria
Most people spend a lot of time indoors. And indoor environments can contain dust that carries different types of bacteria — some of which can trigger asthma and allergy symptoms.
One study found that sunlight can kill the bacteria that lives in dust indoors. In this particular study, 1 in 8 bacteria survived in a darkroom environment, but only 1 in 16 dust bacteria survived after being exposed to sunlight.
What does this mean for you? Open those shades and windows and let more sunlight into your home. As the UV rays kill bacteria that live in the dust in your home, your air quality may improve.
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4. Sunlight may reduce high blood pressure
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is linked to many health problems, including heart attack, stroke, and kidney damage. One study showed that exposure to sunlight lowered systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) in people who had kidney failure and were getting dialysis.
The study was based on the idea that UV light increases the availability of nitric oxide in your body. Nitric oxide is a molecule that can cause blood vessels to widen and, as a result, lower blood pressure.
But more research is needed to understand the sun’s effects on blood pressure and whether there are benefits for people who don’t have kidney disease.
5. Sunlight can improve sleep quality
Sun exposure plays a big role in maintaining your body’s internal clock, or circadian rhythm. Generally, your circadian rhythm responds to the sun’s light-dark cycle, helping you fall asleep at night (when there’s darkness) and wake up in the morning (when there’s light). So you can try using the sun’s light-dark cycle to improve your sleep hygiene.
For instance, experts recommend being in bright sunlight in the morning to increase your chances of falling asleep earlier in the evening. Exposure to sunshine in the morning increases your melatonin levels. And melatonin plays a key role in regulating your body’s circadian rhythm and helping you sleep when it gets dark.
6. Sunlight boosts mood
Getting enough sunlight can help lessen the likelihood of having mood disorders, most notably seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD is a type of depression that usually occurs in the fall and winter, when there’s less sunlight.
Experts don’t know the exact cause of SAD, but a lack of sunlight may affect the way the brain’s hypothalamus works. This effect may make it harder for your circadian rhythm to time certain functions, like waking up. As a result, you may be more likely to experience SAD symptoms, such as feelings of despair or fatigue.
Plus, not getting enough sunlight can result in lower serotonin levels, which can contribute to depression. So it makes sense that getting more sunlight can boost your level of serotonin and your mood.
7. Sunlight can boost your immune system
Sunlight can help fine-tune your immune system in two separate ways. First, your body gets a lot of vitamin D from sunlight. Vitamin D is essential for a healthy immune system. Second, sunlight provides UV light. Since we often hear negative things about UV light it may come as a surprise that UV light can actually be helpful. The truth, though, is that in some cases UV light can actually be good for your immune system.
Studies have found that vitamin D and exposure to UV light both have a protective effect against some bacteria and viruses. In addition to helping to fight infections from things like influenza and tuberculosis, sunlight has also been found to help your immune system regulate diseases like psoriasis. In fact, exposure to UV light and vitamin D are two treatments used to treat psoriasis.
Scientists also know that people who live in environments high in UV light (such as tropical areas) are protected against illnesses like multiple sclerosis and asthma. Though they don’t know for sure what effect sunlight has on these illnesses yet. But because scientists know that sunlight helps regulate the immune system and because these illnesses are autoimmune diseases, it’s possible that getting more sunlight may actually protect against these diseases.
8. Sunlight is associated with weight loss
Multiple studies have shown that exposure to sunlight is associated with having a lower body mass index (BMI). There haven’t been enough studies to show that sunlight actually causes weight loss, though. It could be that people who have lower a BMI happen to spend more time outdoors, which causes them to get more sunlight.
Nevertheless, scientists think that it’s possible that sunlight can actually help with weight loss. Getting sunlight affects vitamin D levels, the release of nitric oxide in the body, and other biological pathways related to weight. Because of this, scientists think it’s possible that sunlight itself might actually affect your weight directly. If nothing else, sunlight has been shown to boost your mood, which may make you more inclined to go outside and be active.
Forest bathing benefits: Spending time in nature can help you feel relaxed and lower stress levels. Here are some other health benefits to visiting a forest or green space.
Sunscreen and your skin health: A dermatologist sheds light on the benefits of sunscreen and tips for keeping your skin happy while enjoying the outdoors.
Beyond sunscreen: When it comes to protecting yourself from the sun, sunscreen isn’t your only option. Here’s how to safely soak up the sun.
How much sunlight should you get per day?
Depending on your skin tone, you may be able to get the daily recommended amount of sun exposure in as little as 10 minutes.
People with darker skin tones have more melanin, a molecule that serves as a natural sunscreen. But this can also make it a little harder to get enough sun exposure. So it takes more time in sunlight to get its benefits if you have a darker skin tone.
Here is how much sunlight experts recommend based on your skin tone:
Lighter skin tones: 10 to 15 minutes a day
Darker skin tones: 25 to 40 minutes a day
Where you live also matters:
If you live in tropical areas where the sun is stronger, you might need less time in the sun to get your recommended exposure.
If you live up north where the sun isn’t as powerful, you might need more time outdoors to get the right daily dose of sun exposure for you.
Keep in mind, regardless of skin tone, spending more time in the sun than is recommended may increase your risk of sunburn or skin cancer. This is why it’s a good idea to put on sunscreen before going outside. This is especially true if you’re going to be out longer than 10 to 30 minutes.
How sunscreen impacts the sunlight you need each day
You may be wondering whether putting on sunscreen can prevent you from getting enough sunlight to make vitamin D. The body only needs a little sunlight to make vitamin D, and research shows that using sunscreen on a regular basis doesn’t hurt the body’s ability to create the sunshine vitamin.
When is the best time to get sunlight?
Any time you can fit some sunlight into your schedule is a good time. But research suggests that you absorb the most sunlight around noon.
Experts believe the timeframe from 10AM and 1PM is optimal for sun exposure, because you get plenty of UVB rays — which allow your body to create vitamin D — while minimizing your risk for skin cancer from UVA rays.
Tips for working time in the sun into your daily schedule
In today’s technology-driven society, it can be difficult to get enough sunlight each day. Here are a few ways you might get more time in the sun:
Take a brief walk during your work breaks or study breaks.
Take one or more of the day’s virtual meetings outside.
Park your car further away from store entrances so you can soak up some sunlight as you walk in.
Eat your lunches or snacks outside.
Exercise outside.
Plant a few flowers or vegetables to give you a reason to go outside.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, sunlight gives you more energy. Sunlight has been proven to boost your mood and help with your sleep. Your mood plays a big role in your energy levels, and the better you sleep, the more energy you will have during the day.
Your body gets most of its vitamin D from sunlight, but sunlight isn’t the only way for your body to get vitamin D. You can get vitamin D from a variety of foods. Fish, beef, and eggs have lots of vitamin D. You can also get vitamin D from supplements or multivitamins.
Sunlight is generally associated with damage to your skin, but in rare cases, it can actually help. People with psoriasis and vitiligo are often treated with UV-light exposure. And babies born with jaundice, which causes a yellowing of the skin, are also treated with UV light. In general, though, experts think that sunlight causes more damage to your skin than benefit.
The bottom line
Getting enough sunlight has a number of potential advantages for your mental and physical health, including improving your mood and sleep and lowering your risk of certain diseases. People who have lighter skin typically only need 10 to 15 minutes of daily sun exposure. However, due to increased melanin, people with darker skin tones usually need a bit more — around 25 to 40 minutes. But due to the risk of skin damage and skin cancer from prolonged sun exposure, it’s important to wear sunscreen on a regular basis when you’re outside.
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References
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