Life on
planet earth cannot survive or thrive without exposure to natural sunlight. Beyond
the commonly touted benefits of Vitamin D production and calcium utilization,
sunlight turns on internal chemical reactions and stimulates enzymes to work
more efficiently. Brain plasticity and depression that are regulated in part by
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), show a correlation with the amount of
ambient sunlight. Estimates are that exposure of one’s arms to 10-15 minutes of
natural light can provide these benefits—dark-skins may need 5-6 times that
amount of time. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is part of the electromagnetic
(light) spectrum that reaches the earth from the sun. UVA wavelengths are
longer than UBV but both can be damaging. Excessive exposure to sunlight can
contribute to skin cancer, premature wrinkling and aging of the skin,
cataracts, and macular degeneration. It is also linked with diseases that are
aggravated by immunosuppression, allowing reactivation of some latent viruses.
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