Here Comes Summertime!

Sunshine is good for everything from our cardiovascular health to the immune system – and healthy sleep patterns

How much sun?

We all love the long warm days of summer, but did you know that sunshine can have a powerful effect on health? While the sun’s infrared rays provide heat and warmth for healthy perspiration and detoxification, the sun’s ultraviolet light enables the body to synthesize vitamin D, which is essential for health.

In recent years, we’ve seen an increase in the number of children developing rickets, caused by profound vitamin D deficiencies. Rickets is a softening of the bones, causing pain, weakness, and carrying a risk of deformity. In adults  the disease is called osteomalacia.

Sunshine can help prevent this condition among children and adults alike. You can take vitamin D supplements or eat vitamin D rich foods, but spending time outdoors is one of the most enjoyable ways to boost your vitamin D levels. When your skin is exposed to sunshine the body creates vitamin D, which it uses to strengthen your bones, boost your immune system, and lift your mood. But what about skin cancer risk?

That’s a serious question but the answer is to moderate your exposure to the sun, not to avoid it altogether. Some sunshine is good, but too much of it can increase your risk of cancer.