do you ever wonder why your parents would always tell you to stop holding up inside the house and go play outside it's not because they wanted some peace and quiet for a change okay let's be real it probably was however spending some time outside on a bright and sunny day can actually benefit your physical and mental health in a number of ways you might not have been aware of so as it turns out your parents may have been doing you a favor after all but before we get into that here's with the weather
now then let's get into some of the ways in which sunlight can benefit both your body and your mind number one sunlight improves your mood are you an early-morning riser or a regular night owl as it turns out both sunlight and darkness can have a tangible effect on your mood by promoting the release of certain chemicals and hormones in your brain when your body is exposed to Sun lay your brain begins to increase the production of serotonin in addition to helping your body with digestion and the healing of wounds serotonin also has a noticeable effect on your mood reducing feelings of depression and anxiety as well as helping you feel calm and focused by contrast once the Sun Goes Down and things get dark your brain starts to produce another hormone called melatonin which helps you get to sleep as you might have guessed it's
important to make sure your brain is making the right amounts of both hormones at the right times in order to make sure that your body is always working at peak performance if you're not getting enough sunlight exposure in the day your brain will produce less serotonin than usual and this can have a drastic effect on your mood according to health line low levels of serotonin can increase your risk of developing major depression with a seasonal pattern this condition formerly known as seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that is usually triggered by the changing of the seasons if you've ever heard anyone used the phrase seasonal depression this is most likely what they were referring to symptoms for this form of depression typically take root starting in October or November and lasts until the end of March or April in other words be sure to make the most of the bright summer days while you still can or else you might be in for a very unpleasant depressing winter number two sunlight increases vitamin D serotonin isn't the only thing your body makes when it gets exposed to sunlight when exposed to the sun's ultraviolet B radiation your skin begins to create what's known as
vitamin D vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin which provides your body with a number of essential benefits from helping your immune system to assisting with weight loss according to some research vitamin D is also an important component your body uses to build strong bones people who suffer from a vitamin D deficiency are at a higher risk of developing bone related diseases such as rickets osteoporosis and osteomalacia in case you needed more convincing a healthy dose of vitamin D has also been shown to reduce the risk of other conditions and illnesses such as multiple sclerosis heart disease and depression number three sunlight can prevent cancer this one might sound like a bit of a paradox at first after all isn't overexposure to the Sun one of the leading causes of skin cancer well that is very true a healthy amount of sunlight can actually be useful in preventing certain types of cancers I guess it's true what they say everything in moderation specifically receiving a healthy amount of sunlight can reduce the risk of cancers such as colon pancreatic ovarian and prostate cancer as well as Hodgkin's lymphoma which affects your white blood cells number four sunlight fights off the flu it sneaks up on us every year before you know it BAM it's cold and flu season again in addition to washing your hands and staying up to date on vaccines
you can also potentially fight off the flu bug by soaking up a few extra rays of sunshine according to a working paper distributed by the National Bureau of Economic Research places that receive higher amounts of sunlight might also be at a potentially lower risk when it comes to influenza outbreaks according to the lead author of the paper dr. David's luskey research indicates that there does appear to be a correlation between high levels of sunlight and lowered levels of the influenza virus the reason behind this it looks like our good friend vitamin D is coming to the rescue once again in a 2017 article published in the British Medical Journal researchers reported on the results of a study which aimed to prove the link between vitamin D and flu prevention participants were given either a daily or weekly vitamin D supplement while the research showed a modest amount of success the actual effectiveness of the supplement varied from person to person participants who started out with low vitamin D levels but took the supplement were found to have their odds of contracting a respiratory tract infection such as influenza halved while participants who had higher baseline levels of vitamin D in their systems naturally experienced little change regardless evidence of this study seems to point towards vitamin D being an effective way to fight against the flu number
5 other benefits of sunlight in addition to all the health benefits we've already mentioned in this video there are still tons of other ways in which a healthy amount of sunlight can have a positive effect on our bodies according to the World Health Organization the ultraviolet radiation provided by the Sun can help with the healing and treatment of many different kinds of conditions that affect your skin in particular doctors have recommended UV radiation as a method of treatment for skin conditions such as psoriasis szema jaundice and even acne if that's not enough for research has also revealed that sunlight can potentially be an effective form of treatment for a number of other medical conditions as well including rheumatoid arthritis thyroiditis systemic lupus erythematosus and inflammatory bowel disease however it's worth mentioning that studies into sunlight to treat these conditions are still largely inconclusive and more research is required before anyone can be completely certain of its effectiveness it's also important to note that UV radiation may not be the ideal treatment method for everyone be sure to speak with your doctor or dermatologist in order to determine whether or not this method of treatment is right for your particular condition remember to protect yourself from accidentally soaking up too much Sun by applying sunscreen and make sure to only stay out in the Sun for reasonable stretches of time with that in mind hopefully this video has convinced you to spend less time cooped up in your bedroom or office and to get out and reap all the benefits that our planets closest star
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