Sunday, March 2, 2014

Leap Out In The Sun And Feel Better As A Result

By Haywood Hunter


Much has been made in recent years of the damage which over exposure to sunlight can cause to the human body. The sun has been held responsible, with good reason, for conditions such as skin cancer, and too much sun can also cause the skin to age more quickly than it should. There is a balance to be struck though, and the sun can also do the human body a tremendous amount of good.

One major boost that your body can receive from you being out in the sun is a tonic to its production of Vitamin D. Conditions such as rickets can be the end result of the human body having too little Vitamin D, which is often as a result of not spending enough time in the sun. Some types of asthma and some varieties of cancer can also be caused by a lack of Vitamin D in the body.

The light from the sun is especially important for the body's natural production of Vitamin D3. The natural cholesterol in skin works with the sun's UVB rays to help out liver and kidneys produce this vitamin. Unless the skin is exposed to direct sunlight, this process will be severely impaired, with many possibly negative consequences.

This means that it is actually good for you to expose skin to sunlight for at least 20 to 30 minutes, on three or four occasions each week. Sunlight through windows will not have the same positive effects, as the glass in windows blocks UCB rays while letting in UVA rays, which are potentially damaging. Sun screens often work to block UVB rays, which can work to produce Vitamin D.

It is also impossible to get too much Vitamin D, as the body has a natural defence mechanism, which will start to work when enough of the vitamin is present for the body's needs. For the full positive effect of the sun's rays, do not wash the skin with soap immediately after coming in from being out in the sun. The soap will destroy the natural oils which are necessary for the production of Vitamin D.

There are other potential benefits to the skin being exposed to direct sunlight too, with recent research from Edinburgh University suggesting that exposure to sun may well help with circulatory conditions. Sunlight might help with illnesses caused by high blood pressure, as well as heart attack and stroke. This might well be so effective, the researchers claim, as to outweigh risks of skin cancers.

The active ingredient in the process of helping with conditions to do with the blood circulation systems of the body is the compound Nitric Oxide. This looks like it acts to lower blood pressure, though the authors of the study admit more research is necessary before it can be established beyond doubt. BBC statistics indicate that illnesses such as heart attacks and strokes usually kill 80 times more people than skin cancer on an annual basis.

So make sure that you get yourself out in the sun at least a few times a week this summer. It can help in at least two major way with your health. Speak to a medical professional if you have any problems with exposure to sunlight, or a more specific condition.




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