Not only does sunshine make us feel good, but sunshine is vital for our bodies to produce Vitamin D. Did you know that Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones, teeth and muscles?
We need vitamin D to help the body absorb calcium and phosphate from our diet. These minerals are important for healthy bones, teeth and muscles. Vitamin D is also linked to blood sugar regulation. Sunshine is said to lower blood pressure and reduce inflammation. The body creates vitamin D from direct sunlight on the skin when outdoors. According to the NHS, a lack of vitamin D can lead to bone deformities such as rickets in children, and bone pain in adults.
During the spring and summer months, most people should be able to get all the vitamin D they need from sunlight. So this being said, what about the dangers of too much sun? Sun exposure has links to premature skin aging and skin cancer. Sunbeds are no safer. “Over exposure to UV light, either from sun or sunbeds is the main cause of skin cancer,” says Cancer Research UK.
Sun Safety
How do we get enough sun without harming our health? Ideally, you need to be exposing at least 10% of your skin without sunscreen to the sun for 15 to 20 minutes a day, as the skin can only make Vitamin D for the first thirty minutes of exposure.
Just remember when you are out and about this summer, everything in moderation. Enjoy the sunshine, but keep covered or in the shade, when the rays are at their most harmful, this is when the sun is at its highest during the day. According to a dermatology nurse, just one blistering sunburn in childhood or adolescence more than doubles a person’s chance of developing melanoma later in life.
Soaking up the rays this summer is sure to make us feel great, but just remember that too much is not always a good thing. Stay sun sensible and sun safe.
