The Benefits of Sunlight for Greater Vitality

Vitality comes from many sources. Quality sleep, regular meditation, and the seven types of rest all play a role in how energized we feel. Once you find the combination of practices that best suits your needs and lifestyle, you can enjoy multiplied benefits. Since what energizes one person might not work for another, experimentation is necessary, and the Egely Wheel Recorder application can be a good tool for this. Remember: Taking care of your health is an act of self-love and is much more affordable than treating illness later on.

Sunlight is crucial for health, especially for making vitamin D. According to the WHO, not getting enough UV exposure leads to about 3.3 billion lost healthy life years each year, while too much UV exposure is only responsible for around 0.1% of that.

Did you know that your body gets around 90% of its vitamin D from sunlight? Unlike other essential vitamins, which we get from food, vitamin D is made in the skin when we’re exposed to UVB radiation. Spending about 30 minutes in the sun in a bathing suit every day will give you a dose of vitamin D, though the amount varies depending on your skin type. Fair-skinned individuals can produce about 50,000 IU; tanned individuals, 20,000–30,000 IU; and individuals with darker skin tones, 8,000–10,000 IU. It’s said that it’s better to get a few minutes of short, repeated sun exposure several times a day than to get one long exposure to the sun.

Our bodies naturally produce the sleep-encouraging hormone melatonin at night. This explains why it can be difficult to fall asleep in places with electromagnetic pollution, such as blue light from screens, or in highly illuminated spaces. When your eyes are exposed to light, your brain receives the message to stop producing melatonin.

As summer turns to fall and the sun hides behind the clouds more often, you may have noticed that our moods tend to reflect the gloomy weather outside. It’s no coincidence. Sunlight triggers our brains to release serotonin, also known as the “happy hormone.” For example, an Australian study found that participants produced more serotonin on sunny days than on cloudy days, regardless of temperature. It’s no wonder seasonal depression tends to appear in the fall and winter rather than in the sunny, serotonin-rich summer.

Several studies have found that sunlight can actually help improve skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, jaundice, and acne. However, since each condition is different, it’s best to consult a dermatologist before sunbathing or trying light therapy.

After a long period of cold, gloomy days, everyone can feel the positive effects of the first signs of spring and sunshine—both on our souls and our bodies. Simply spending time outdoors and soaking up the sun has many health benefits. Sunlight boosts our mood, supports vitamin D production, helps relieve skin conditions such as psoriasis, and reduces stress, among other benefits. But, even though it’s great, it’s important to be smart about it and enjoy the sun without putting yourself at risk.