Sunshine can be good for you
Vitamin D helps to keep our bones and teeth healthy. Having too little vitamin D can damage the way the body absorbs calcium. Having a vitamin D deficiency can lead to weak bones and bowed legs.
Vitamin D helps to keep our bones and teeth healthy. Having too little vitamin D can damage the way the body absorbs calcium. Having a vitamin D deficiency can lead to weak bones and bowed legs.
Hiding away from the sun can also lead to depression and affect your sleep pattern.
A hormone names Melatonin controls sleep and when exposed to sunlight the gland controlling the production of Melatonin decreases. When the sun goes down however, this hormone is produced to a higher level.
Working in the opposite way; Serotonin. The hormone that causes good moods and wakefulness. When exposed to sunlight, serotonin levels increase and when the sun goes down these level decrease.
This balance between hormone releases is what affects out sleep patterns.
The sun can of course increase our mood. People that suffer from SAD (seasonal affective disorder) tend to be more depressed in the winter and autumn months and more upbeat and happier in the summer and spring.
By not getting enough sun, your body isn’t producing enough serotonin and you body will not be producing enough vitamin D. By getting a bit of sun, your body is producing vitamin D, and sun expose can give your body time to stock up on serotonin. That way your body can use it during the winter months.
If all that wasn’t enough to find an excuse to get in the sunshine however, being exposed to indoor lighting instead of some outdoor sunshine can lead to fatigue, reduced immune function and can also lead to fertility issues. Of course like everything, it has to be in moderation. By spending too much time in the sun, your skin can burn (painful) and lead to skin cancer.
So enjoy the British summer but be warned there is such a thing as ‘too much of a good thing’.
FemaleFirst Emma Chaplin