Do you know that we all need sunlight to stay healthy? Sunlight is the cheapest and the best source for natural Vitamin D. As Dr. Mercola, an American doctor says, “Sunlight plays an important role in the synthesis of vitamin D. The farther away from the equator, the less ultraviolet exposure and the less vitamin D that is synthesized in the body. And those with greater amounts of pigment in the skin – such as blacks – require six times the amount of ultraviolet B (UVB) light to produce the same amount of vitamin D found in lighter-skinned people. While 20% to 30% of UVB radiation is transmitted through white skin, only 5% is transmitted through deeply pigmented skin.

“Around the world, the farther one gets from the equator, the more likely you are to find people with high blood pressure. Lack of exposure to ultraviolet light may actually contribute to the rise in blood pressure in higher latitudes, according to a new theory from an Alabama researcher. And the theory may explain why blacks in the US and Europe have a greater risk of high blood pressure than whites in those countries or blacks who live in Africa.”

Not many of us know that there is mounting reasonable evidence of the beneficial role of Vitamin D for about 16 types of cancer (gastrointestinal: Colon, esophageal, gallbladder, gastric, pancreatic, rectal; urogenital: bladder, kidney, and prostate; female: Breast, endometrial, ovarian, and vulvar cancer; and blood cancers: Hodgkin’s lymphoma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and multiple myeloma).

The list of illnesses and ailments that can be cured by sunlight is long: Including heart disease; hypertension; cancer of many kinds like cancers affecting the bladder, breasts, cervix, colon, ovaries, prostrate and the stomach; type 2 diabetes; chronic skin conditions including psoriasis and eczema; common coughs and colds; asthma; cholera; E-coli; dysentery; influenza; tuberculosis; anthrax ; mental depression; osteoporosis; Crohn’s disease; multiple sclerosis; rheumatoid arthritis; and thyroditis. Sunlight enhances the immunity system. It also improves digestion; enhances our liver function; aids in weight loss; and even helps in the proper functioning of our kidneys by eliminating waste. One amazing research says that sunshine has the phenomenal power to alter our moods and cheer us up, thereby preventing anxiety and depression. No wonder sunlight is referred to as the perfect medicinal pill in promoting a healthy lifestyle.

It is not true as portrayed by many that sunlight should be avoided as it causes the deadly skin cancer. Probably overexposure. But not the regulated exposure. The sunlight needs and tolerances of people vary from one to another. Everyone responds differently to sunlight depending on our antioxidant levels, age, skin color, the amount of melanin in our skin, our tan level, pollution, season, time of day and many other factors. Studies show that a Caucasian or a light-skinned person needs about 20 minutes exposure under the sun. But for a dark skinned person, it takes three to six times or even ten times longer to reach the required concentration of skin vitamin D. It is common sense for us to be careful not to burn under the sun. Nor should a person fall asleep in the sun!

The more areas of our skin exposed to the sun from 15 minutes to 2 hours at a time – meaning having more sun exposure on as much uncovered skin as possible is more healthful than wearing long sleeves, closed-neck attire with pants covering our legs.

Have a joyful day!