Go Out And Get Some Sun…..
Posted on 1 May 2010
Sunlight can re-vitalise and invigorate at the correct doses but it can also do harm in larger doses so we must strike the correct balance. Unfortunately recent press and government guidelines have gone to the opposite extreme and made us think that it is best to avoid the sun altogether and when we do go into the sun we must use copious amounts of sunscreen.
Recently a friend of my sisters was complaining of fatigue and general malaise. She went in for some blood tests to find out she was severely Vitamin D deficient, probably in turn leading to a calcium deficiency. To me this is not a result of a lack of sun in general but rather a life long deprivation of sunshine. Most kids these days have been brought up avoiding sun their whole life, basically depriving them of the necessities that sunlight provides by using sun screen or more likely telling them to avoid the sun all together.
We constantly hear about skin cancer and the over use of tanning beds when in fact it is the lack of sun that is causing more harm. It is well known that there is a lack of Vitamin D in pretty much all the western worlds countries and a lack of Vitamin D causes many many diseases from Prostate Cancer, Fatigue, Osteoporosis and Depression. The doctors remedy to this is to push vitamin D supplementation which is usually in its inefficient D2 form which is not processable by the human body so no wonder the problems continue. There has been evidence to show that Vitamin D3 can work well in humans but we need to take huge amounts to correct a deficiency and these doses are unlikely to be issued by a doctor. Add to this that recent research has shown that we need full spectrum sunlight to obtain healthy vitamin D levels and supplements in whatever form may help but they certainly do not replace the SUN.
A lack of sunlight does not only cause a Vitamin D deficiency but also causes a host of other problems:
- De-regulation of our natural body clocks
- Lack of sunlight is associated with “high myopia” meaning ruined vision
- Lower Dopamine levels
- Interference with Leptin levels (hunger control)
Add these to the host of problems that come from a Vitamin D deficiency and it is pretty obvious we need not only to get more sun but spend more time outdoors rather than closed up in artificial lighting all day.
“We miss out on essential morning light needed to stimulate the body’s 24-hour biological system, which regulates the sleep-wake cycle” – Lighting Research Centre
This all points to not only sunbathing more often but getting out and about during the day and making the most of time to get outdoors like lunch breaks and any walks you can fit into your day.
How to get sun?
I would say it comes down to making the most of your opportunities throughout the year. When you take into account that simply sunbathing with a decent amount of skin exposure for 15-20 minutes without sunscreen can generate huge amounts of Vitamin D then we realise how easy it is. Add to this that Vitamin D is fat soluble meaning we can store it for a few weeks/months, the other benefit is that it is Impossible to overdose on natural sunlight provided Vitamin D (the same cannot be said for supplements).
Spending more time outdoors and getting some morning sunlight and you should be doing pretty well. Add to this encouraging children to get outside and play and allowing them to spend time in the sun so that healthy levels of Vitamin D develop from a young age. Sure Sunlight can be overdone but our body is pretty good at telling us when it has had enough……
16 comments so far
People who linked here
- Go Out And Get Some Sun….. | Great Advices
- Phoenixville area Democrats hold annual spring fundraiser | 陈
- Trying Holistics » The health benefits of sunshine
- 05/03/10 – Tabata Something Else
- Blog-watch: Vitamin D latest news
- 10 Simple Changes to Your Day and Health | Zen to Fitness
- How to Increase Biceps Strength without Biceps Curls (video) | Relative Strength Advantage
- 3 Steps to Find The "Right Activity" | Zen to Fitness
Comment by Chris Sturdy
1 May 2010
One more reason is the potential link between Vitamin D deficiency, induced in part by lack of sun time, and multiple sclerosis. A recent study suggested that it might actually be the UV component that comes along with sunlight exposure and subsequent vitamin D synthesis that can protect against MS, but either way sunlight exposure is something that we should all aim for.
@ Chris: This is something I had read about in the past, very interesting topic. Thanks for adding it in…
Comment by Aeryn
1 May 2010
I disagree with your closing comment…our body is horrible at telling us when we’ve had enough UV radiation, but it’s great at telling us when we’ve had too much.
@ Aeryn: That is a good point, what I meant to say in the last paragraph is that we easily feel hot and uncomfortable even after spending 10-20 minutes in strong sunlight. Instinctively making us want to seek shade or water to cool down. Plus one day of taking in too much sun will leave some pretty bad sun burn which would make it unfeasible to go into the sun until healed. I guess we need to be sensible with sun intake like anything else…. Thanks for commenting.
Comment by Elizabeth @ The Nourished Life
1 May 2010
This is one I’ve been working on lately. For someone who lives in a very rural area I spend a shamefully small amount of time in the sun. One of my goals this year is to make time for sunshine almost every day. I’m highly interested in the effect in has on mood and leptin in addition to the vitamin D benefits.
Comment by mattyb
1 May 2010
Love the blog – reading for awhile, and this topic really hits me. I had my first bout with basal cell carcinoma at age 29 – early by most standards. This is the least dangerous form of skin cancer, but still alarming. Since then I had two more small surgeries to remove areas of concern – all of them on the face and neck where hundreds of rounds of golf and being an avid runner took its toll. I now use spray on UPF 30+ sun block on all exposed area and have since age 30. I’m 41 now.
I guess the question/concern I have is, do all benefits of UV exposure go away with sumblock? I certainly have days where the blues and fatigue are a big factor and I have considered Vitamin D deficiency as a possibility. Just not sure how to justify naked exposure to the sun with my history. I am thinking about running in the early morning without sunblock for a while to see if this improves perceived symptoms. Any thoughts?
Peace!
@ Matty: When the sun is out try sunbathing shirtless for 20 minutes without sunscreen, that should do a good job of getting your levels topped up if you can do it regularly. I am not quite sure if all the benefits go away with sun-block but I know most of them do, Try applying it only after you have had some sun without sun block.
Morning runs sound like a good idea to soak up the sun.
Comment by Dan
2 May 2010
I’ll have to challenge the statement that D2 isn’t as effective as D3.
Article here……
“Conclusion 1,000 IU of vitamin D2 daily was as effective as 1,000 IU of vitamin D3 in maintaining serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and did not negatively influence serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 levels. Therefore, vitamin D2 is equally as effective as vitamin D3 in maintaining 25-hydroxyvitamin D status.”
Personally, if I can’t get sun in the winter, I’m off to the tanning beds
@ Dan: Thanks for posting this very interesting. I myself am against Vit D supplements and prefer to make the most of the sun in summer and top up occasionally in a sun bed during the winter months.
Comment by Luke M-Davies
2 May 2010
Sadly very few of us in the West get to work outdoors for a living but we shouldn’t use that as an excuse!
Great article – you’ve just made me take note of another positive that came out of my London Marathon training> Running outdoors exposed me to more sunlight than I would have got otherwise and I am grateful for that.
We all know this but it never fails to surprise me how a bit of sunshine suddenly cheers us all up. Less road rage, less arguments, happier to stand in line at the bank. It’s brilliant. I always wish I lived in a sunnier climate than the UK but no doubt this ‘happy effect’ would wear off if we had sun most of the time.
Comment by Anthony
2 May 2010
Man, nothing like a sunny day to make me feel good all over! No matter what season, but especially fall and winter, the sun makes everything go that much better.
Peace….
Comment by Allison
3 May 2010
Great information and advice. Just to keep the information flowing, here’s a handy article that has 10 important sun safety tips. Enjoy!
10 Important Sun Safety Tips