Although too much sun exposure can be a bad thing... too little is just as bad!

Moderate, careful exposure to the sun has many benefits, and when you continuously shield yourself from the sun or always cover every inch of exposed skin with sunscreen, you could be missing out.

It's important to find the right balance between complete avoidance... and too much!

Here are a few of the main benefits of sun exposure.

VITAMIN D PRODUCTION:

The best-known benefit of sunlight is its ability to boost the body’s vitamin D supply, and the most common cause of vitamin D deficiency is due to lack of outdoor sun exposure.

At least 1,000 different genes governing virtually every tissue in the body are now thought to be regulated by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃, the active form of vitamin D.

Vitamin D is crucial for a strong immune system and healthy bones.

You don't need to go in the sun for hours everyday... a little goes a long way. Depending on where you live, the season and your skin type, as little as 10 minutes might be enough to produce 5000 IU of vitamin D. The darker your skin the longer you need. To maximise vitamin D synthesis, you need to expose as much skin as possible (get that bikini out!). It's recommended to protect your face to minimise skin damage (as your face is exposed a lot more than the rest of your body) and focus on getting sun on your arms and legs, and your torso if possible.

For most white people, a half-hour in the summer sun in a bathing suit can initiate the release of 50 000 IU (1.25 mg) vitamin D into the circulation within 24 hours of exposure; this same amount of exposure yields 20,000–30,000 IU in tanned individuals and 8,000–10,000 IU in dark-skinned people.

How much vitamin D do you need? It depends on your current status, your needs, etc... but as a rule of thumb, aim for 5000 to 10 000 per day. 50 000 IU is plenty of vitamin D for a whole week!

You can get some vitamin D through your food (cod liver oil is the best source) or supplementation, but it's not just about vitamin D. There are plenty of other benefits you get from the sun... so if you rely on a supplement to get your vitamin D, you will miss out on those other benefits.

Vitamin D Supplementation: Although sun exposure is best, we know that it can be difficult to get enough sun exposure in some countries, especially in winter, so supplementing might be necessary to meet your needs.

We do recommend getting tested before supplementing. The ideal range is 40-50 ng/ml.

When choosing a supplement, it's best to choose one that has vit D combined with K2, such as this one.

Dosage: Most people don't take enough. If you are deficient, you may need up to 10 000 IU per day. If you are borderline, between 2000 and 5000 is a good dose. Always retest to check your levels.

OPTIMISES SLEEP

When people are exposed to sunlight (or very bright artificial light) in the morning, their nocturnal melatonin production occurs sooner, and they enter into sleep more easily at night.

Many people with chronic health issues have disturbances in their circadian rhythm, which can greatly affect sleep quality. Exposure to sunlight in the morning (and sometimes wearing amber sunglasses at night) is a fantastic way to establish a healthier circadian rhythm.

We talk about this more in the 'optimise your sleep' section.

IMPROVES MOOD

The melatonin precursor, serotonin, is also affected by exposure to daylight. Moderately high serotonin levels result in more positive moods and a calm yet focused mental outlook.

And finally, endorphins, your natural opiate, is also boosted with sun exposure.

ENHANCES THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

Sun exposure can help suppress an overactive immune system (aka auto-immune diseases), via an increase in Regulatory T-Cells. It also increases white blood cells, playing a key role in fighting diseases and defending the body against infection.

It has also shown to reduce the risk of certain cancer (other than skin cancer).