Let the Sunshine In

A few minutes of direct sunlight on exposed skin each day, particularly in the southern states during the winter months, can make a significant difference to our mood. (The Epoch Times)

Australia is known as the skin cancer capital of the world, so from a young age we Australians have the slogan ‘slip, slop, slap’ drilled into our heads. This advice comes with good reason. But are we taking this sun smart advice too far?

Sun plays a vital role for both our physical and mental wellbeing, and a few minutes of direct sunlight on exposed skin each day, particularly in the southern states during the winter months can make a significant difference to our mood. The sun gives us our vitamin D and several Australian Authorities on sun-safe practices agree that a balance is required between avoiding skin cancer and getting enough sun to maintain adequate vitamin D levels.

Vitamin D is known as the ‘sunshine vitamin’, though it is technically not a vitamin, but a concoction of chemicals, including hormones, which are produced by the body. Chemicals already present in skin tissue convert UVB light from the sun into vitamin D3. This substance is then carried to our liver, then to our kidneys to make the vitamin D, which the body can then utilise.

Vitamin D is essential for bone health because it increases the absorption of calcium, which strengthens the skeleton. Osteoporosis Australia informs us that without sufficient amounts of vitamin D the body may develop osteoporosis, which is a process of bone deterioration.

Low levels of vitamin D may also lead to other health concerns such as an increased risk of cancer, cardio vascular disease and diabetes. The body’s natural defense, the immune system also becomes sluggish when levels of vitamin D are low. This could be an added reason why people who are low in vitamin D are more susceptible to the common cold and flu virus during winter.

Recent studies from the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand have shown that in winter and spring 60 per cent of women of childbearing age in Tasmania are deficient in vitamin D, with the figure dropping to 40 per cent in Queensland. Are we taking the message, ‘slip slop slap’ too far? And is our lifestyle, which is now focused around indoor activities and working longer hours at the office, leading to a lack of ultra violet light.

Safe Amounts of Sunshine

Osteoporosis Australia states that vitamin D in food accounts for only a small contribution to a person’s overall vitamin D levels. Therefore a regular, safe and minimal approach to sun exposure is the best method to acquire vitamin D and improve your overall mood. The good news is vitamin D is made very quickly from direct sunlight, so just a few minutes a day may be all you need. People with black, brown or olive skin tones need more vitamin D, so slightly longer periods of exposure are needed to meet the body’s needs.

However, if you are at the beach or playing outdoors for prolonged periods of time during the summer months and the UV levels are high, always wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen, a hat and a long sleeve shirt. Stay in the shade between 10 am and 4pm because both UVA and UVB light can cause damage to skin cells, leading to pre-mature aging, and skin cancer. The Cancer Council of Australia states that babies and young children can acquire enough ultraviolet radiation to maintain vitamin D levels even with the use of sun protection.

Alternative sources of vitamin D are available in a capsule for those who are at risk of vitamin D deficiency. Women wearing burkas, pregnant women, the elderly and those with very dark skin may need to take supplement their diet with vitamin D rich food sources.

Beating the Blues

It’s not just your bones that will suffer from a lack of vitamin D. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a medically recognized condition, which is linked to a lack of sunlight, namely vitamin D. The winter months have often been associated with the ‘blues’ a common term for a mild depression, which is more common the further away from the equator one lives. For some individuals, SAD can be serious, manifesting as a severe depression, and a deep lethargy.

Our body’s natural rhythms and body clock are also associated with sunlight. Hormones and our neurotransmitters dictate when it is time to wake and when it is time to sleep. Sunlight steers the body towards a balance and helps regulate melatonin, which is necessary for sleep, and serotonin, which is necessary for alertness, activity, a cheerful mood and emotional stability.

Due to changes in light levels during winter, SAD sufferers experience an imbalance in melatonin and serotonin. Their melatonin levels are often too high, and SAD sufferers feel sleepy and fatigued. Their serotonin levels are too low which leads to them feeling glum.

Beyond Blue states that one in five Australians will suffer from depression, which could be a mild be a mild form of SAD associated with a lack of vitamin D. Getting more sun could be all that is needed to cheer you up. However, if you are experiencing prolonged and troubling sadness, seek professional advice.