The Benefits of Sunlight
Over the past several decades, sun exposure has fallen out of fashion. The significant benefits of the sun have been overshadowed by loud voices urging an abundance of caution due to the threat of skin cancer. Mainstream advice would tell you that it is true that sunlight is useful for creating vitamin D - however, you should minimize your exposure as much as possible and prefer a vitamin D supplement to the sun.
While the sun has fallen out of fashion, artificial light therapy is in, with the growing use of lightboxes and infrared saunas. While I have a red light panel, during the warmer months, I prefer to use the natural and free source of beneficial UV, blue, and infrared light - the sun.
Sunlight Helps to Regulate Your Circadian Rhythm
Disruption of the circadian rhythm is associated with the development of diseases like cancer, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular dysfunction. Sufficient exposure to sunlight is key to regulating the circadian rhythm, signalling to your body what time it is, and triggering a cascade of physiological events like melatonin and cortisol production.
Read more in our article How to Optimize Circadian Rhythm
Sunlight Improves Mood
Receiving sunlight through the eyes can help suppress melatonin production during the day, helping to reduce grogginess and increase alertness. Light panels for Seasonal Depressive Disorder (SAD) attempt to mimic this effect with bright light. In addition, exposure to UV sunlight on the skin causes the body to produce feel-good endorphins - so good that studies suggest that UV exposure is biologically addictive. (1)
Sources
Fell GL, Robinson KC, Mao J, Woolf CJ, Fisher DE. Skin β-endorphin mediates addiction to UV light. Cell. 2014 Jun 19;157(7):1527-34. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2014.04.032. PMID: 24949966; PMCID: PMC4117380.
