Why Sunshine is So Important to Overall Wellness, & Why You Should Get Sunshine Every Day
Edited re-post from 5/5/2023, Turning Strawberry Blog
As the self-proclaimed Queen of Sunscreen (my mother might take the crown for Empress), it might seem contrary to the teachings to tell you that you should get outside and enjoy some sunshine every single day. But biologically speaking, humans are diurnal mammals that have evolved to primarily operate in daylight, and as such our body has developed ways of optimizing physical and mental performance when we do. There’s a reason why “Get Sunshine” takes the spot as tenet #2 in my Daily Do’s, and while this isn’t an end-all solve-all answer, generally speaking, it’s a good place to start if you’re looking to improve your overall wellness. Here we’ll cover 4 reasons why sunshine is so important to overall wellness, and why it’s a great thing to add to your daily habits if you’re on a path to holistic health.
Sunlight Gets Us Moving
Visually seeing sunlight is a cue to our body and brain to wake up--it triggers a good dose of cortisol in the morning to get us moving. Cortisol is often associated with stress and weight gain, but it's healthy in the body in regulated amounts. It’s designed to make us alert, and it's what puts a little pep in our step. Additionally, individuals exposed to bright light first thing in the morning actually experienced a decrease in overall cortisol throughout the remainder of the day [1]. This balances out the body's melatonin production, and can make the body produce more of it at night, leading to an even more restful night of sleep.
Sunlight Makes Us Happy
Sunlight is known for boosting the production of serotonin in the body--the happy hormone. You don't even necessarily need to step outside to make this happen. In the retina of our eyes, there are special receptors that detect sunlight and trigger this response within the body [2]. It also boosts the body's ability to produce vitamin D, a vitamin necessary for healthy bone health and positive neurological function [3]. Not only is a lack of vitamin D responsible for osteoporosis, brittle bones, and rickets, but Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to the onset and amplification of depression and declined mental health [4]. This can turn our cave-gremlin-y feelings into a hard-to-shake monkey on our backs that drags us down for longer.
Sunlight can Calm Us Down (and boost physical performance)
Now, as if that wasn't all, when sunlight hits our skin, our body releases a dose of nitric oxide into our blood, boosting our cardiovascular system and lowering our blood pressure [5]. This not only means that we might experience better athletic performance when exercising during the day, but this also means getting sunlight on our body can be perceived as a near-instantaneous positive affect when we're feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or if our flight-or-fight response has been triggered.
Sunlight Boosts Our Metabolism
There are two general kinds of adipose tissue—white, and brown. Brown adipose tissue, or brown fat, is what is responsible for thermogenesis—or the generation of body heat, especially when we are cold. Recent, animal-based research has concluded that light-sensitive proteins found in our subcutaneous adipose tissue (fat cells underneath our outer layer of skin) can detect natural sunlight [6]. When this protein is turned “on” in brown fat cells, it increased the subjects core body temperatures, as the brown fat cells generated more heat than they did without exposure to sunlight. This, combined with a growing body of evidence, suggests that brown fat cells and the activation from sunlight can protect against a class of metabolic impairments known as metabolic syndrome [6]. This includes protection against hypertension, high blood sugar, abnormal blood lipids, and excess body fat from around the waist, reducing the risks of developing obesity and cardiometabolic dysfunction [7].
So How Much Sunshine Should We Get Each Day?
That’s a great question, thank you for asking. To be quite frank, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. If we’re looking at the benefits of vitamin D, the USDA recommends 600IU/day that can be brought in via sunlight or diet. How much vitamin D our body can produce as a result of sunshine varies based on geographical location, age, melanin in the skin, and overall skin exposure to the sun [8]. For example, one study compared the differences between geographic opposites Boston, MA. and Miami, FL., with individuals who tanned well but would still burn in the sun. In the middle of a Miami summer with 25% of the body exposed to the sun, a person only needed about 3 minutes of sun exposure to make enough vitamin D for the day. Alternatively, that exact same person wearing the exact same clothes, would need at least 23 minutes of high noon sun to make enough vitamin D in the middle of a Boston winter.
This is just focused on vitamin D. Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin, which means that any excess we may have can be stored for months in our fat cells. That’s good news if you’re a Boston native. As long as we have a supply, it also means we do not necessarily need long bouts of exposure each day. As we discussed with serotonin production and the affects of light on cortisol, melatonin, and metabolism, the affects are directly triggered by the light exposure. This means we could still benefit by sit in front of a brightly lit window. So, serve a side of serotonin with your morning coffee and sip it in front of an open window, or keep the bedroom curtains cracked for a helping hand at waking up in the morning.
To reiterate, the right balance of sunlight each day is going to vary per person, and as a part of a holistic health lifestyle may even vary per day. What’s important is that we get a little sunshine in each day to improve our overall wellness. No matter what you do just remember to wear sunscreen. If you need help picking one out, be sure to subscribe to the newsletter for the upcoming post on the Basics of Sunscreen vs. Sunblock and Why You Should Wear It, along with my recommendations and favorite eco-friendly picks.
Grounded Yoga & Nutrition is a reader-supported blog covering holistic lifestyle research, nutrition and diet-based content, & yoga and wellness. If you have any direct questions or would like to collaborate, feel free to email andy@turningstrawberry.com.
My name is Andy and I’m a certified yoga instructor, AFPA-accredited holistic nutritionist, and professional engineer. I focus on whole food intake and creating a well-rounded, fulfilling life with mind and bodily movement. My aim as a lifestyle coach and holistic nutritionist is to help clients find a balanced dietary strategy using methods that are effective, yet both sustainable and enjoyable.
Sources Cited
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[2] Nall, Rachel, MSN, CRNA, and Timothy, PhD, PsyD J. Legg. “What Are the Benefits of Sunlight?” Healthline, Healthline Media, 1 Apr. 2019, <https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/benefits-sunlight#mental-health>.
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[6] Newman, Tim, and Jasmine Collier. “Could Sunlight Combat Metabolic Syndrome?” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, 27 Jan. 2020, <https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/could-sunlight-combat-metabolic-syndrome>.
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[8] Robert, Ashley, MD. “Ask the Doctors - How Much Sunshine Do I Need for Enough Vitamin D?” UCLA Health System, 23 Mar. 2018, <https://www.uclahealth.org/news/ask-the-doctors-round-sun-exposure-vital-to-vitamin-d-production>.