Sunlight is medicine

The scurvy of the twenty-first century is a lack of sunlight.

~ Dr. Roger Seheult

I often joke that my husband is solar-powered. He loves the sun and feels healthier when spending more time outdoors. 

Having spent a disproportionate amount of time indoors recently, while editing a book, it became clear how a lack of exposure to natural light can impair health over the long term. It disrupted my circadian rhythm and interfered with the quality and quantity of my sleep.

Understanding the healing powers of sleep has motivated me to spend more time outdoors. 

Current research links exposure to the full spectrum of light, from long-wave infrared to short-wave, vitamin D-producing, ultraviolet B (UVB) rays, to reduced mortality. 

Although supplementing vitamin D (which acts like a hormone in the body) has many health benefits, producing it naturally by getting out in the sun enhances efficacy.

Death rates are correlated to the length of the day

The sun is the giver of all life.

~ Lailah Gifty Akita

All-cause mortality is higher in the winter, within a month of the shortest day of the year.  And it’s not just because we’re exposed to more germs by gathering indoors for celebrations like Christmas. In Australia, there are more deaths in June and July - their winter - than at Christmas time. 

In the early 1900s, doctors touted sunlight therapy as a cure for tuberculosis and lupus, cuts and scrapes, burns, arthritis, rheumatism and nerve damage. 

Researchers had discovered that sunlight could kill the bacteria that caused tuberculosis and other diseases. It was recognized as a great disinfectant.

Others proved that UV light could cure rickets, a bone disease caused by a vitamin D deficiency. 

Later, studies found that infrared light improves eyesight. Children who spend more time outdoors are less likely to need glasses.

Yet, to our detriment, we have been indoctrinated to fear and avoid the sun.

Of course, like other medicines, dose matters when it comes to solar therapy. The right amount invigorates and energizes. In excess, it can be harmful.