The sun is life-giving and endlessly important for our health and well-being. A growing number of studies indicate that the benefits of sunlight exposure far outweigh the risks when we are conscious of our exposure.
Sunlight can be divided into three major components: visible light, ultraviolet light and infrared energy. Almost half of the sunlight we receive is visible light. Although visible light only makes up a tiny portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, sunlight is not merely there to allow us to see. When sunlight enters our eyes our entire brain lights up and many different areas of our brain are stimulated. This is not the case with artificial light. The FULL spectrum of light is important.
Ultraviolet light is only a small part of the total radiation we receive on Earth’s surface but it is extremely important. It is this part that activates Vitamin D production in our bodies.
Although infrared radiation is known for its heat-producing qualities, it provides our bodies with so much more and stimulates many systems in our bodies.
The benefits of sunlight
Sunlight conveys time-of-day information to the body and brain, affecting your pituitary gland and the hormones it secretes. Morning sunlight increases serotonin levels and in the end melatonin levels. Exposing your face and eyes to morning sunlight therefore also improves your sleep! About 100 body systems are connected to and affected by our day and night (circadian) cycle. Exposure to morning sunlight has a profound effect on this circadian rhythm and even weight loss has been linked to sunlight exposure.
The elderly need more natural light per day as their ageing eye lenses start to lose their ability to absorb blue light and this may lead to a reduction in melatonin levels and therefore poor sleeping patterns. The full spectrum of light is needed for stimulation of serotonin and melatonin, thus even wearing sunglasses can limit your eyes’ access to full sunlight, so keep that in mind.
Of course, we also know that serotonin influences your mood. Increased serotonin levels enhance your mood and sunlight is important in increasing these levels. Apart from boosting your mood, sunlight also improves concentration. Sunlight is really important for our brain and even fosters the formation of new synapses, in other words, it stimulates learning.
Apart from improving concentration and supporting learning, sunlight is also essential to eye health. It reduces the risk of myopia (nearsightedness) in children and adults as it promotes normal eyeball growth. It is suggested that children, especially those struggling with eyesight or eye problems, spend at least 3 hours per day outside, also while doing their reading or school work. This doesn’t mean they should sit in direct sunlight all this time, but they do need to be outdoors and exposed to natural light for hours during the day.
One of the most known benefits of sunlight is the synthesis of Vitamin D through the skin when exposed to UVB (ultraviolet B) radiation. The initial photosynthesis produces vitamin D3 which then undergoes further transformation to form other forms of Vitamin D. One form of Vitamin D acts as a hormone and regulates calcium and phosphorus absorption and blood levels, bone mineralisation as well as other metabolic and neuromuscular functions. Vitamin D is even linked to better mental planning skills.
Your Vitamin D levels are extremely important. Sun exposure is actually protective against certain types of cancer and linked to higher survival rates in patients with early-stage melanoma according to a study done in 2005, possibly due to increased Vitamin D levels. It is interesting and important to know that sunshine protects our skin and helps to treat skin disorders as it develops immunologic tolerance.
Decreased Vitamin D levels are also associated with multiple sclerosis and possible diabetes type 1. Vitamin D levels have further been connected to metabolic syndrome, hypertension and some autoimmune disorders. Exposure to sunlight has an anti-inflammatory effect with mechanisms helpful to prevent autoimmune disorders.
Keeping in mind that 30 minutes of summer sun exposure to a large area can initiate the release of 8000IU – 50,000 IU of Vitamin D into circulation makes one realise how effective the sun is.
Infrared promotes cellular repair and reduces inflammation. For this reason, you also get infrared therapy devices like our Photizo product to help with pain relief, promote healing and reduce inflammation. Infrared plays an important role in healing injuries and wounds as it stimulates the body’s natural healing processes.
Adding all the other benefits to our physical and emotional well-being, the sun may do more good than bad and we should not fear it.
PEMF therapy and sunlight
It is beautiful to realise that both sunlight and PEMF therapy are electromagnetic waves. And that we, as living beings, need electromagnetic energy to live and thrive. Just as sunlight has its health-giving properties, pulsed electromagnetic fields also have healing abilities. Both affect how the cells function and how our body reacts to inflammation.
PEMF therapy relaxes your nervous system and activates your parasympathetic nervous system. This supports your body to increase serotonin levels. PEMF therapy is very supportive in improving sleep. It has also been shown to improve bone healing of fractures and support your skeletal system in many ways. Furthermore, we know that PEMF therapy is excellent in relieving inflammation.
Use your PEMF therapy device daily for maximum benefit. This is the perfect, non-invasive therapy to add to your daily sunshine routine.
Programs that you may consider using, depending on your need are:
- Calming and Relaxation
- Inflammation or Tendomyopathy
- Bone healing
- Schumann Resonance
- Insomnia
South Africa averages more than 2500 hours of sunshine per year. We, therefore, have no excuse to be underexposed to sunlight in our beautiful country. Prioritising morning sunlight does radical things for our health and mood, therefore embrace the sun, it has been uniquely Created for our benefit.
May you be happy and healthy this winter, with lots of opportunities in the sun!
