Daylight Savings Time Offers Better Health
Responsible Exposure to Sunlight Offers Many Health Benefits
Mar 3, 2009
As we move the hands of the clock forward on March 8, we gain an hour of daylight immediately. As spring and summer proceed, we gain even more daylight which offers a great opportunity to spend more time outdoors.
Whether your job has you locked up in an office all day, working on an assembly line, or taking care of children and the home, daylight savings time (DST) is a welcome change for any lifestyle. It offers more time to participate in outdoor activities and allows people to reap the benefits of the sun at the same time.
Daylight Savings Time Offers Healthy Benefits
Consider the positive facts about spending more time outdoors. Exercising proper precautions, including a good quality sunscreen, the added daylight offers many healthy benefits.
- The sun is a primary source of Vitamin D which is important for bone and muscle strength and boosting the immune system. Vitamin D also helps us fight autoimmune diseases.
- Studies have shown that ultraviolet (UV) light can reduce blood pressure for as much as 5-6 days following exposure to the sun.
- The Tulane School of Medicine tested the effects of UV rays and found that cardiac output increased an average of 39% when individuals were exposed to sunlight – making their hearts stronger and healthier.
- Sunlight can reduce the risks or symptoms associated with depression and anxiety and lead to a healthier mental state by stimulating the pineal gland responsible for production of some chemicals and hormones that regulate mental health.
- Sunlight helps induce healthier, more restful sleep since it keeps the body’s clock more aware of day and night through the production of melatonin.
- Sunlight can actually help reduce the risks of certain cancers including breast, prostate, and colon cancer, but it must be taken in small doses and with proper precautions.
- Exposure to the UV rays of sunlight can decrease the serum cholesterol level leading to healthier cholesterol levels.
- According to a study conducted in June 2007, individuals not getting enough sunlight increase their chances of cancer by up to 70% since their bodies are less capable of synthesizing adequate amounts of Vitamin D for strong bones and better health
- Sunlight is a vasodilator which allows it to increase the level of oxygen that the blood moves throughout the body, giving an added energy boost and improving overall sense of well-being.
- Exposure to healthy sunlight can improve eczema, acne, and psoriasis when exposed in a healthy way.
Daylight savings time is a good time to gain the many benefits of the sun. But it is also important to exercise caution with exposure to the sun. Stay out of the sun between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. That makes DST the perfect season of the year since sunlight is available long after 4:00 p.m.
Exercise Caution Even During Daylight Savings Time
Remember to take precautions including:
- Use a good quality sunscreen of at least 15 SPF, even after 4:00 p.m.
- Wear a hat to protect the face and eyes, even after the sun’s rays are less harmful in the late afternoon.
- Reapply sunscreen if exposure is more than 20-30 minutes.
Spending time in sunlight is a good idea and ideally, that time should be in the early morning or late afternoon. Daylight savings time is the perfect time to enjoy more outdoor time in the late afternoon and evening since the sun’s rays are less harmful during that time. The benefits to the mind and body offer an incentive for outdoor activity during spring and summer.
Individuals who are more active outdoors and who enjoy the benefits of healthy sunlight will be healthier overall. Taking precautions to prevent any harmful effects of sunlight is important. But don’t avoid the sun altogether or the many benefits of healthy exposure to sunlight will be lost forever.
1. Lappe JM, Travers-Gustafson D, Davies KM, Recker RR, Heaney RP. Vitamin D and calcium supplementation reduces cancer risk: results of a randomized trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jun;85(6):1586-91.
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