3 Health Benefits of Sunlight
Al Waller: For most of history, many cultures honor the sun, praising it for providing people with good health and life. Back then, sunbathing was often prescribed to promote health and treat many illnesses, such as skin ailments and tuberculosis. It turns out that sunlight may be the remedy our ancestors thought it was—for both body and mind.
Welcome back to ClearPath – Your Roadmap to Health & WealthSM. I’m your host, Al Waller, and today we’re joined by Mihaela Vincze, public health expert for nonprofit Transamerica Institute®, and she’s here to discuss the health benefits of sunlight, as well as some precautionary words about avoiding the risk of skin cancer.
Before we get started, I want to remind our listeners that we would love to hear from you and get to know what topics you’d like to hear about. Please drop us a line at [email protected].
It’s good to have you here today, Mihaela.
Mihaela Vincze: It’s good to be back, Al.
Al Waller: How does sunlight affect our health?
Mihaela Vincze: Sunlight actually affects our health in many ways, and it has many benefits that can improve your health and overall well-being. One of the main benefits is the way it supports vitamin D levels, which play an important role in our health. For today’s episode, I’d like to focus on the effects of this “sunshine vitamin” on our immune system, bone health, and mental health.
Al Waller: Well, the immune system is vital to helping our bodies fight infections and other diseases, so let’s start there. What role does sunlight have on our immune system?
Mihaela Vincze: The role of sunlight on our immune system has to do with the way our skin cells take in Vitamin D. The sun’s ultraviolet B (UVB) rays hit cholesterol in our skin cells, providing the energy for vitamin D production. Vitamin D can regulate your immune system, and help your body fight off infections, according to a report published in Dermato-Endocrinology. This is because vitamin D increases immune cells' production of microbe-fighting proteins, and lessens the harmful inflammatory response of some white blood cells, according to Harvard Health.
Al Waller: It’s very interesting to think about the role sunlight and vitamin D can have on our immune system. Now, I have to ask, how does sunlight play a role in our bone health?
Mihaela Vincze: The vitamin D in sunlight helps your body absorb calcium, which is necessary for bone health. This can help prevent conditions like osteopenia, which is reduced bone mass, and osteoporosis—a medical condition in which the bones become brittle and fragile from loss of tissue. Good bone health can also help prevent bone fractures.
Al Waller: Oh yes, we certainly don’t want broken bones. Now that we have covered the role sunlight, or more specifically, vitamin D, has on our immune systems and bone health, how does sunlight impact mental health?
Mihaela Vincze: Numerous studies have found lower levels of vitamin D play a role in depression. For instance, a 2020 review found that those with the lowest vitamin D levels were at the most significant risk of depression compared with controls. However, the study's authors noted that the strength of the correlation, or the exact role of vitamin D in the progression of depression, is still unclear.
The same goes for supplementation with vitamin D—it is unclear who would benefit from supplementing and how much they should supplement with. With this being said, light therapy, a treatment involving daily artificial light dosages, is commonly used in treating seasonal affective disorder.
Al Waller: It’s interesting to think of light playing a role in treatment of mental health disorders. How does a condition like seasonal affective disorder happen?
Mihaela Vincze: Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that occurs due to changes in the season, usually occurring in the winter months when sunlight is sparse. Light therapy can help ease symptoms, with positive effects generally occurring within a week of initiating light sessions, according to a manuscript published in the Einstein Journal of Biology and Medicine.
Al Waller: It’s wonderful to hear that light therapy can start to help people suffering from seasonal affective disorder so quickly for a condition that is affected by the change in seasons. Now, daylight savings time just happened a couple of weeks ago, and we all know that it affects how much sun we get. Are there any effects of daylight savings time on our health?
Mihaela Vincze: When we "spring forward," we will lose one full hour of sleep. This one hour probably doesn’t seem like a big deal, but it can negatively affect our bodies for days and even months. A way to offset some of the effects of daylight savings time is to expose yourself to sunlight in the morning, which can help reset your internal clock.
Al Waller: There is nothing like a morning workout outside to help wake you up. Now, I’ve been wondering how much sunlight is recommended for good health, in general?
Mihaela Vincze: Ten to 15 minutes of daily sun exposure is the general recommendation for vitamin D absorption. However, people with a darker complexion should have about double that—and that’s because those with darker skin have more melanin— a molecule that acts as a natural sunscreen.
However, spending more time than recommended may increase your risk of skin cancer. Especially if you are someone who is at a high risk of getting skin cancer – or have already had skin cancer – it’s important to consult with a physician what amount of sunlight is appropriate for you.
Al Waller: Something else I was wondering about is the role of sunscreen on our vitamin D levels. Does sunscreen inhibit our body’s ability to absorb vitamin D from the sun?
Mihaela Vincze: No, normal sunscreen use does not cause vitamin D deficiency, according to a review published in Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine and concerns about vitamin D should not negate skin cancer prevention strategies— like wearing sunblock.
It may also be a good idea to check out your weather app which often includes a UV index. This predicts the strength of UV rays each day. If the UV index is 3 or above in your area, then protect your skin from exposure to the sun, according to the CDC. Sometimes, these apps will even advise you to wear sun protection until a certain hour (e.g., 3pm).
Al Waller: Interesting. Now, in today’s technology-focused society — with more people working from home — how can people incorporate more sunlight into their days?
Mihaela Vincze: It may be challenging to get enough sunlight each day but here are a few ideas:
- Take a walk outside during your breaks.
- Park your car further away from entrances so you can soak up some sunlight as you walk in.
- Do some gardening.
- Find more activities to do outside, like playing a board game.
However, always take precautions to protect yourself from the sun while outside for sustained periods. For example, wear sunscreen, and don’t forget to wear a hat to protect your scalp and provide shade to your face and neck.
Al Waller: Those are wonderful ideas—I need to start checking my weather app more frequently to get a sense of the UV index. Now, what about supplementing with vitamin D?
Mihaela Vincze: That’s a great question. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends that people supplement for vitamin D through diet instead of exposing themselves to sunlight, for skin health.
Al Waller: Interesting. So, to recap, getting enough sunlight can provide benefits for mental and physical health. Specifically, it can improve our immune system, bone health, and mental health. People typically need only 10 to 15 minutes of daily sun exposure, and people with darker skin need a bit more.
However, if you are at a high risk of skin cancer or have any concerns in general, it’s best to consult with your physician on the amount of sunlight that is appropriate for you. Also, due to the risk of skin cancer from sun exposure, it’s important that everyone wear sunscreen on a regular basis. For those concerned about vitamin D, supplementing for this vitamin is the recommendation.
Now, where can listeners go to learn more?
Mihaela Vincze: The CDC has great resources on sun safety, including tips on how to protect your skin from the sun, while enjoying and benefiting from those rays. Also, last year, we dedicated an episode of this podcast to Preventing Skin Cancer, which outlines risks and preventative measures people can take. I hope our listeners will check it out.
Al Waller: Thank you, Mihaela, for joining us on another episode of ClearPath – Your Roadmap to Health & WealthSM.
If you’d like to check out any of the source materials mentioned today, visit transamericainstitute.org/podcast to review the episode’s transcript.
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Until the next time, I’m your host Al Waller. Stay safe, be well and thanks for listening.
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