Sunlight & Vitamin D

I always feel good and energized after I get some sun exposure. It seems like the sunlight has a powerful affect on me. On the other hand, when I don’t get sun on my skin for a few weeks, I feel down, grumpy and a bit moody. I wouldn’t call it depressed, but it’s just not a happy feeling. There is evidence that sunlight does more than just make you happy! This article – click here – explains how sunlight and vitamin D help your bones and prevents autoimmune diseases, cancer and cardiovascular diseases. It states that, “Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with increased risks of deadly cancers, cardiovascular disease, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and type 1 diabetes mellitus.” It further describes how, “Vitamin D deficiency is an unrecognized epidemic among both children and adults in the United States.” The article is very detailed and offers amazing information.
I also found this amazing research. The “Benefits of Sunlight: A Bright Spot for Human Health” article explains how “vitamin D can be synthesized in the skin through a photosynthetic reaction triggered by exposure to UVB radiation.” For most Caucasians, about 30 min in the sun can release as much as 50'000 IU of vitamin D. The same amount of exposure yields 20'000 in tanned people and about 8'000 in dark-skinned folks. There is so much more great info - click here to read the entire article.