There are so many benefits to sunbathing for a while every day! It is simply a free "health supplement"

How much Sichuan people love to sunbathe

When the weather is good

The square dam, the grass on the shore, the stone piers...

It is "filled" with densely packed Sichuan people

Many people love to buy all kinds of expensive health products.

In fact, sunbathing

It’s a free “health product”

1

Promotes the synthesis of vitamin D

Sunlight stimulates the conversion of cholesterol in the skin into vitamin D.

Vitamin D has many important functions in the human body, including helping calcium absorption, maintaining bone health, supporting the immune system, preventing rickets in children and osteoporosis in the elderly, etc.

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2

Make you feel better

Sun exposure causes the body to release more serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) .

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that improves mood and relieves depression and anxiety. It is also known as the "happy hormone."

3

Make sleep better

During the day, sufficient serotonin keeps us energetic and ready to work and study; at night, serotonin is converted into melatonin, which helps us sleep, under the action of enzymes.

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If we don't get enough sunlight during the day, it may cause insufficient serotonin secretion and insufficient melatonin conversion, resulting in lack of energy during the day and insomnia at night.

4

Regulate hormone levels

Sun exposure can affect hormone levels in the body, including thyroid hormones, adrenal cortex hormones, and sex hormones .

These hormones play important roles in the endocrine system, influencing our metabolism, immunity, and emotional state.

Sunbathing should be moderate

Moderate sun exposure is good for your health, but excessive exposure may increase the risk of skin cancer, so everyone should be careful when sunbathing, just be moderate and avoid exposing to strong sunlight for a long time.

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Generally speaking, avoid the noon time when the sun is the strongest. Before 10 a.m. and around 4 p.m. are the "golden time periods" for sunbathing. 10 to 20 minutes is enough, but don't let your skin get red .

Expose body parts

Most vitamin D synthesis occurs in exposed areas of the skin , such as the arms and legs.

So when we bask in the sun, we must make sure these parts can be exposed to the sunlight.

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Some friends may ask: What if your face or body gets tanned when exposed to the sun? Do you need to apply sunscreen?

In fact, many sunscreen products on the market provide protection against ultraviolet rays in the UVA and UVB bands of sunlight, and many of the benefits of sunlight to the body are also brought by UVA and UVB.

Therefore, wearing sunscreen when sunbathing may conflict with the purpose of sunbathing .

But if you really want to protect yourself from the sun, you can do it on your face, because the skin on the face is generally thinner, especially the skin on the eyelids is thin and tender, while the skin on the back of your hands, arms, and legs is of appropriate thickness and can be used as the body's "sun receiver".

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Don't sunbathe through glass

Sunbathing through glass will greatly reduce the effectiveness of vitamin D synthesis. Because ultraviolet rays have poor penetration, a piece of paper can block UVB, not to mention thick glass.

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The best place to sunbathe is outdoors. If you can't go outdoors, you can open the windows indoors to let the sunlight directly contact your skin.

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Not everyone is suitable for sunbathing

For example, patients with skin cancer, systemic lupus erythematosus, dermatitis, and people who are using some photosensitive drugs (such as isotretinoin, minocycline, etc.) are not recommended to go out in the sun.

Statement: This article is a medical-related educational popular science article. It does not involve specific treatment methods or medical behaviors and cannot replace hospital visits.

Experts who reviewed this article

References

[1] Wu Guangchi. Vitamin D nutritional status of the Chinese population[J]. Chinese Journal of Maternal and Child Health, 2010(1):4. DOI:CNKI:SUN:YZWS.0.2010-01-018.

[2]Holick MF. Vitamin D deficiency. N Engl J Med. 2007 Jul 19;357(3):266-81. doi: 10.1056/NEJMra070553. PMID: 17634462.

[3] Supoman. The production of brain serotonin is directly related to the degree of sunlight exposure [J]. Chinese Medical Information Guide, 2003(2).

[4] Peng Yongqiang. Moderate sun exposure makes the body healthier[J]. Health Care and Medical Garden, 2011(3):1.DOI:CNKI:SUN:YYBJ.0.2011-03-024.

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Map: Eastern Zhou Dynasty