Glorious Sunlight We understand that good health is dependent upon good food and exercise. Some even understand that water may be good for us, but seldom do we speak about the benefits of the radiant energy of the sun shining down upon us. Yes, we know it is responsible for the growth of plants and for evaporating the water that falls again as rain to water the earth, but seldom does it dawn upon us that that same energy may be beneficial to us just as it is to the plants. While the effect of sunlight on health is not that of some magic potion that suddenly cures all our ills, it does provide many benefits for the prevention and eradication of disease. Unfortunately, modern urban life does not provide ready opportunity to profit from the benefits of the sun. Furthermore, the sun has been given a bad rap by the scientific community in recent years because of the rapid rise in skin cancers. Chapter contents A) Benefits of sunlight B) Recommendations C) How to safely obtain the benefits of sunlight D) Solar therapy 1 / 7
E) Therapy for seasonal affective disorder (SAD) Energy radiating as electromagnetic rays from the sun covers a very broad spectrum with waves measuring as short a one billionth of a meter (yard) to 31 hundred miles long. Only about 1% of this energy is visible to the human eye. Other rays that we are familiar with having a known effect on our bodies include infrared rays, radio waves, and electric waves on the long side of the visible spectrum, and ultraviolet, X-rays, gamma rays, and cosmic rays on the short side. Of these, Infrared and ultraviolet have known health benefits, some of which are noted here. It is the infrared rays that give the sun much of its warmth. Ultraviolet rays, on the other hand, kill the germs, tan the skin, and cause the burns and skin damage if over-done. Ultraviolet rays are filtered out by most window glass. Ultraviolet is most intense when the sun is highest in the sky, usually between 10 and 2 O clock, and more in summer when the sun is higher in the sky than in winter. Because the ultraviolet rays pass through clouds better than light rays do, it is easy to burn even on cloudy days. Ultraviolet waves also reflect and scatter more than light rays. This explains why people around water, sand, snow, and other reflecting surfaces are more apt to suffer over-exposure to the ultraviolet rays. A) Benefits of sunlight on the human body Sunlight benefits physical fitness in many of the same ways as exercise does, and in fact, complements the benefits of exercise. Blood pressure is reduced; pulse rate is lowered; breathing rate is slowed; oxygen carrying capacity of the blood is increased, and energy is stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles all of which increases strength and endurance, improves the efficiency of the heart and lungs, regulates blood sugar levels, improves immune functions, and increases tolerance to stress. Sunlight is an effective agent in lowering total blood cholesterol levels. Sunlight (ultraviolet) produces vitamin D when its rays reach our skin. 2 / 7
(Note: Vitamin D is necessary to prevent rickets in children and osteoporosis in adults. Deficiency also probably contributes to the development of multiple sclerosis, a number of cancers, including breast, prostate, and pancreatic cancer, osteoporosis, heart diseases including heart attacks, autoimmune problems, mental illness including schizophrenia and depression, lung problems, diabetes, and numerous other diseases.) (Note: Supplemental vitamin D should be seriously considered for everyone unable, for any reason, to get daily, or at least frequent, exposure to the healing rays of the sun.) Sunlight may hasten the aging process or slow it. It depends to a great extent upon how it is used and upon one s other habits of diet, exercise, etc. Diets high in refined fats (especially polyunsaturated and trans-fats), and low in antioxidants (typical of present nutritional practices in much of the world) cause harmful changes in the skin, including formation of skin cancers. Natural plant based diets low in fat and high in antioxidants improve skin health when exposed to regular, but non-burning doses of sunlight. Sunlight reduces one s risks of many types of cancer by its effects on the immune system, vitamin D production, by killing cancer causing viruses, and by improved tissue oxygenation induced by sunlight exposure. Sunlight is a potent agent in preventing and treating infections. Exposure to ultraviolet light kills most bacteria (Including tuberculosis and e. coli) and viruses and some strains of fungi. It improves the skin s resistance to infection, and stimulates the production of immune cells, lymphocytes, neutrophils, and immune globulins (anti-bodies). Sunlight improves the body s capacity to detoxify and eliminate pesticides, heavy metals, and other toxins to which we are daily exposed. Sunlight lowers jaundice in newborn babies. Sunlight produces a profound psychological benefit. 3 / 7
Bright sunlight days and dark nights improve melatonin levels and sleep. Sunlight has a beneficial effect on regulating hormone levels in both men and women. B) Recommendations In view of the above, recognized benefits of sunlight, it ought to be included in every physical fitness program and considered in the treatment of a wide variety of disease entities. Sunlight must be used wisely if we would prevent potential damaging effects. As with any good thing, sunlight can be abused. A debate continues regarding the benefits verses the risks of sunlight and sunscreen (and sun blocking) products. Some believe that sunscreen products reduce the incidence of skin cancers including the highly malignant melanomas. Others believe, also based upon good evidence, that these agents not only interfere with vitamin D production, but increase both skin cancers and other cancers as well. Fair skinned people need sunlight too, only in carefully measured amounts. C) How to safely obtain the benefits of sunlight Determine your sensitivity to sunlight. Determine how much time you can be in the sun before the skin begins to turn slightly pink. Do this at different times of the day and during the different seasons. Once you have determined this, do not exceed this amount. For persons living in temperate climates, this means that one must start out slowly with only a few minutes in the sun in the spring time, very gradually increasing exposure as the skin tans and develops its own built-in sunscreen protection. 4 / 7
Once tolerance develops, aim to obtain some sunlight most every day year round. Combining exercise and sunlight is ideal, and during summer months, the best time of day for this is morning and evening. DO NOT permit yourself to burn. Maintain a diet of natural, mostly unrefined plant foods. This will naturally be low in damaging fats and high in antioxidants. Some drugs and plants sensitize the skin to sunlight. Check with your healthcare provider to avoid using these if possible. Wear clothing that covers the skin well (long sleeves, pants, shoes, and hats) when in or near the sun for prolonged periods of time. Tightly knit clothing helps to screen out ultraviolet and dark colors prevent reflection of the light to exposed body parts. Wear protective eyeglasses when around snow, sand and water. When light sensitive persons must be in the sun, the use of sun blocking agents, zinc oxide, or titanium dioxide are probably the least risky, but if sun screening products must be used, they should have a sun-protection factor (SPF) of 15 or more and be applied every couple hours. Dark skinned persons require more sunlight than fair skinned people to obtain the health benefits of vitamin D and other effects. D) Solar therapy 5 / 7
Though solar therapy has been mostly relegated to the past, wise people will not ignore the lessons learned about the benefits of sunlight down through the ages. Solar therapy may be used together with other natural measures or with conventional medical care. Based upon the above-mentioned effects, sunlight may improve the outcome of many illnesses, not the least of which includes rickets and osteomalacia (soft bones). Begin solar therapy cautiously until skin tolerance develops. The time in the sun will vary a great deal by your sensitivity to the sun. Solar therapy is best done during the mid-portion of the day when the sun is highest in the sky. With as much skin exposed as possible (depending upon available privacy), begin by lying in the sun and turning every few minutes (perhaps 2 or 3, depending upon your estimated tolerance before burning) until exposed all the way around. DO NOT BURN! Gradually increase the time in the sun daily until able to tolerate 30 minutes daily in summer time or 60 minutes in winter. Repeat the treatment daily or several times a week. Since ultraviolet light does not pass through common window glass, sunbathing during the winter season in temperate climates will require a place in the sun protected from moving air currents. If sunlight is not available, sunlamps or solons producing ultraviolet rays with frequencies over 290 nm. are necessary, utilizing the same precautions as for the sun. (Sunlight is better!) 6 / 7
E) Therapy for seasonal affective disorder (SAD) Persons with seasonal affective disorder require full spectrum, white light of at least 2,500 lux intensity. Household and office lighting is only about 250-500 lux. Light boxes emitting 10,000 lux or more are available commercially for this purpose but are expensive and ought to be tried before purchasing since not everyone with the disorder responds. 7 / 7