June 13, 2017

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The Healing Touch of Natural Sunlight

Valid concerns about sun exposure and skin cancer lead some people to go to great lengths to protect their skin from UV rays. Sometimes, this can even include keeping their home’s blinds in Chicago closed during the day. While it can promote your health to shield your skin from excessive sun exposure, the link between sunlight and human health is more complicated than this. Keep reading to discover some ways in which natural sunlight can be healing.

Bone Health

While you may already know that getting enough sun allows your body to produce vitamin D, new research points to a correlation between vitamin D3 and bone health. When sunlight hits your skin and begins the process of manufacturing vitamin D, the fat-soluble vitamin D3 is also produced. Vitamin D3 regulates calcium absorption and can lower your risk of bone fractures. Because of this, getting enough sun can be particularly important for older adults.

Serotonin Levels

It’s true that too much sun exposure can harm your skin, but did you realize that soaking up some warm rays can improve your energy and mood? Sunlight triggers your brain to release the hormone serotonin, an important neurotransmitter that’s associated with improvement in mood and feelings of focus and calm. Getting too little sunlight can cause a dip in your serotonin levels and increase your risk for seasonal affective disorder (SAD). For these reasons, you can benefit from opening your motorized window blinds and letting some light shine in during the day.

Cancer Prevention

Today, many people associate sun exposure with skin cancer. It’s true that spending too much time in the sun can contribute to the development of skin cancer. But not getting enough sun can also increase your risk for some other types of cancer. Individuals who live in locations with fewer daylight hours are at a greater risk of developing Hodgkin’s lymphoma, as well as pancreatic, ovarian, and prostate cancers. This is yet another reason to open your automated window blinds or shades to let the light in.