While most of us enjoy the sun and feel better with regular exposure to its life giving rays, for the past several decades human beings have allowed themselves to be convinced that the solar orb is their enemy and a primary cause of skin carcinomas and accelerated aging. As it turns out, however, intelligent and strategic contact with UV radiation has important health benefits that can actually promote health and prevent the development of cancer.
For one thing, sunshine turns skin cholesterol into vitamin D, a powerful immune system booster that can provide protection against viral infections and auto-immune diseases as well as cancers. Sunlight is also important for the production of serotonin, a brain chemical that supports a healthy mood. Serotonin deficiencies are linked to depression, learned helplessness and seasonal effective disorder.
Ultraviolet radiation that contacts the eyes can provide skin protection benefits. When sunlight hits the retina, it stimulates brain chemicals that ultimately darken the skin to protect it from burning. What's more, retinal interaction with solar rays increases blood flow to ocular tissues and eventually throughout the entire circulatory system, improving overall oxygenation of the body.
vThis is why the use of sunglasses should be minimized. Shading the eyes also tricks the brain into thinking it is dusk, suppressing the production of melatonin. Ironically, this bio-chemical, best known for its relaxing effects, has important sun protection benefits too and, because the night time hormone has skin health and anti-cancer properties, this can increase the likelihood of ageing as well as the formation of epidural cancers.
