Sunlight – Stimulate Body Work

There are a lot publicity warning people about the risk of ultraviolet radiation damaging the eyes. Media exposure has many of us running for cover and buying products to protect ourselves from the killer sun rays. It has fueled our support for the US $2.1 billion non-prescription sunglasses industry. When we hear eye doctors and the medical industry warning us about the potential damage and cancer causing effects, most of us will listen and obey.

It just makes me wonder though. For hundreds of thousands of years, our eyes have been evolving to work in sunlight. Our ancestors were wandering and living their lives in sunlight from morning until dusk. The eyes would have evolved to use sunlight to its advantage rather than allowing the sun to ravage them and destroy our eyesight. This train of thought may not be scientific, but I expect mother nature to cover her basis, especially when it comes to something so crucial for our survival.

Perhaps mother nature did cover her basis. The eye lens is filled with a liquid (aqueous humor) that nourishes the cells. This liquid is found to have a high concentration of ascorbic acid or vitamin C. An experiment conducted by VN Reddy and his colleagues at the Eye Research Institute concluded that high levels of ascorbic acid in the aqueous humor protects the lens from cataracts caused by UV damage. (Reddy 1998) As long as our body can supply enough vitamin C to the eyes and circulation is good, the eye can protect itself from UV damage.

It is also found that our eyes need to absorb UVB wavelengths to stimulate the neuroendocrine system (the pineal, pituitary, and hypothalamus glands that are located deep in the brain) to secrete hormones. (Baun 2008) Hormones are chemicals the body use to control and coordinate all the bodily functions. Light seems to trigger the mind to wake up the body to get ready for the day’s work. It affects every function in our body such as sleep, body temperature, mood, blood pressure, sex, and growth. Without light, our body seem to stay in sleep mode and many diseases begin to develop.

Light also triggers our skin to produce vitamin D3, which helps our body to absorb calcium, and does much more. Vitamin D3 has been shown to reduce the risk of cancer (colon, breast, skin, lung, prostate, etc), increase our immune system (against tuberculosis, cold, flu, anthrax, cholera, E. coli, etc), and prevent diseases (such as heart, diabetes, hypertension, multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, psoriasis, rickets, etc). Vitamin D3 is different from the synthetic vitamin D2 found in milk and most supplements. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism revealed that vitamin D2 has “shorter duration of action and less than one third the potency” (Armas 2004) of the body made Vitamin D3.

Our body and mother nature have been at this health game far longer than our scientist. For some reason, the risk of sunlight has been blown out of proportion and we shy away from what is natural and right for the body. Granted too much sun may hurt our eyes and burn our skin, but if we do not stare at the sun and do not sit in the sun for 10 hours and burn our skin, then it is beneficial for our body and mind. People who blindly run for cover will find more diseases and problems waiting there than any problems caused by conscious exposure to the sun.

We should spend as much time as possible outdoors. We should spend time enjoying walks with mother nature, or relaxing under a tree, rather than cower in fear of sunlight. However, before you get into the sun, take care of yourself by heeding the following advice:

Dr. Mercola advise in his Report on Sunlight (Mercola 2007)
• Build up your sun exposure. If you are fair skinned, start with five or ten minutes in the sun every other day. As your skin darkens, slowly increase your time. You may want to spend between 20 minutes to 1 hour in the sun each day. You can benefit from being outdoors in the shade as well.
• Do not get sunburn. You should listen to your body, and only stay long enough in the sun for your skin to get a “very slightest shade of pink”.
• Allow 40 percent of our skin to be exposed to sunlight so it can produce vitamin D3. You should not use sunscreen because it blocks the UV that the body need for making vitamin D3.
• Eat more colorful vegetables and fruits to boost your “inner sunscreen”. The antioxidants lowers the risk of sunburns.
• If you need to use sunblock, find natural sunblock products that does not have petrochemical in them.

It is funny how such a simple thing as sunlight has become so complicated. Our parents made it so simple with their “go outside and play” command. It is good advice. Push your worries aside and spend some time outdoors, it will do more good for your eyesight and health then any medicine our science will come up with.