Our bodies are programmed to be in-sync with the sun. And the health effects of sun exposure can be either negative or positive.
We’re able to stay awake during the daylight hours and sleep peacefully throughout the night because of sunlight. Some people even get depressed if they don’t get enough sunshine for a prolonged period of time.
But the sun has also been linked to harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays that can cause damage to the skin. It’s easy to get confused about how much sun is too much, or too little.
Understanding the health effects of sun exposure is the best way to find out how much sun you should be getting, and what you can do to protect yourself.
The Positive and Negative Health Effects of Sun Exposure
The Types of UV Light
Sunlight is widely known as any light emitted by the sun. However, did you know that sunlight consists of both invisible and visible rays or waves? Longer waves such as radio waves pose no threat to people.
However, shorter waves, which include ultraviolet (UV) light, can penetrate the earth’s atmosphere and have positive and negative effects on human skin.
UV light that reaches the surface of the earth has three basic types, namely:
- UVA rays: This type of UV light is longer in wavelength. This means that UVA rays can penetrate the middle layer of your skin or the dermis. Most of the sunlight that you come in contact with are UVA rays.
- UVB rays: This type of UV ray has a shorter wavelength. This means that UVB rays can reach the outer layer of your skin, called the epidermis.
- UVC rays: This type of UV ray has the highest energy among the types of UV rays. But for the most part, UVC rays are blocked by the ozone layer, so it doesn’t reach the earth.
However, the body isn’t completely defenseless against UVA and UVB rays. Melanin, which is produced in the epidermis, protects the skin from UV rays. If you notice that you get a tan when exposed to the sun, it’s actually melanin doing its job.
The Positive Health Effects of Sun Exposure
Just because UV rays are known to have negative effects on the skin, doesn’t mean you have to avoid it completely. Sunlight plays a vital role in some of our body’s natural functions. Here are the benefits of sunlight and why you ought to get a bit of sun every once in a while:
Sun Exposure Helps Build Healthy Bones
A moderate amount of UV rays or sunlight is needed for bodies to produce Vitamin D. Vitamin D encourages the body to absorb calcium and phosphate from what a person eats. Calcium and phosphate are minerals that help make the bones, teeth, and muscles healthier.
You need about 10-15 minutes of sunlight exposure daily to get your daily dose of vitamin D. Sun exposure can also help prevent a disease called rickets, which is an illness caused by a lack of vitamin D.
Sun Exposure Helps You Feel Better
Don’t you notice that everyone seems to be more festive during the summer season? This is probably because people are getting more sun than they usually do. Research has shown that sun exposure stimulates the pineal gland, a structure in the brain that’s responsible for producing the happy hormone, serotonin.
Sun Exposure Can Treat Some Medical Conditions
Exposure to UV rays is part of the treatment for the skin condition called psoriasis, which is a chronic disease that causes red and patchy skin to appear in some areas of the body. This treatment is called “phototherapy”, and it usually involves the use of artificial UV rays or natural sunlight.
Sun Exposure Can help Treat Seasonal Depression
Seasonal depression or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that’s usually caused by the changing of seasons. Light therapy or even exposure to sunlight after waking up can help alleviate some symptoms associated with SAD.
Skin Health 101: The Meaning of Healthy Skin
