The sun's Vitamin D important for overall health

With the end of the school year upon us and Florida's hot summer weather settling in, this is the perfect time to spend your late afternoons and early evenings outdoors enjoying our beautiful Brevard County scenery.

Spending time outdoors is not only healthy for us, but necessary, for a myriad of reasons. 

When we are outside we are less likely to sit around, and most people know the importance of exercising. However, did you know that the sunshine itself is also beneficial for us?

Sunshine is necessary for our skin to make Vitamin D, a very versatile vitamin. About 90 percent of our Vitamin D comes from sun exposure and only 10 percent from what we eat.

A whopping 41.6 percent of American adults have been found to have Vitamin D deficiency.

Most people know that we need Vitamin D to build strong bones, but did you know it is also important for the immune system?

In fact, there are Vitamin D receptors in every organ of the body. Vitamin D deficiency is known to be linked to heart disease, cancer, rickets, osteoporosis, neurodegenerative diseases, autoimmune diseases, anxiety, depression, mania and schizophrenia.

Though taking Vitamin D supplements will help, it’s still not as healthy as going outdoors to obtain authentic sunlight.

Regular exposure to the sun has been shown to decrease breast, colon and prostate cancers as well as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Spending time in the sun has been found to even reduce the risk of multiple sclerosis.  There is mounting evidence that sunshine stimulates the skin to make serotonin, which is sometimes called the “happy chemical” because it contributes to mental wellbeing and happiness.

No wonder there is more psychiatric illnesses in the winter months in areas with minimal sunshine than in other parts of the country that have better weather and plenty of sun, like Florida. 

Doing activities outdoors is advantageous for both children and adults.

Gardening is an excellent choice. It's notable that gardening is a part of the many cultures hosting the longest life spans.

Elderly adults who do gardening or similar outdoor activities not only tend to live longer, but also tend to be more mentally and physically agile with less dementia and fewer falls or broken bones.

Children exposed to gardening at a young age benefit, not only from the healthy foods that come out of the garden, but the expansive and preventative benefits noted above.

In addition, there is evidence that being in the garden at a young age actually reduces the risk of asthma and allergies.

Personally, I believe my good health is more likely due to the farm work I performed the first 18 years of my life in Oklahoma and not necessarily what I have learned as a doctor!

So, does this mean we should all go sit in the sun and burn to a crisp? No, absolutely not!

Everything in life is a balance. Sun is the same.

Excessive sun exposure (e.g. sunburns) should be avoided. Just one blistering sunburn doubles a child’s risk of melanoma, while increasing the risk of other skin cancers and premature aging.

Excessive exposure to the sun can also lead to cataracts; working out in the heat can also cause dehydration and heat stroke.

Most parents have heard that childhood sunburns are the most likely to lead to cancer later, which is true.

Unfortunately, 2/3 of our grade-school aged children are sunburned every summer. The good news is that studies have shown sunscreen does not prevent the benefits of being in the sun, including vitamin D production.

So, slather on the sunscreen (SPF 15 minimum, higher SPF is better), reapply frequently, wear sunglasses and a hat and drink lots of fluids.

Consider going outside before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m. to reduce the highest risk time for sunburns.

So, get out and enjoy our beautiful Sunshine State as much as possible; it will be great for your health!

Dr. Mary Woods Ulrich attained her medical degree from the University of Oklahoma after receiving dual bachelor’s degrees in biology and chemistry from Oklahoma Baptist University. Ulrich completed two years of pediatric residency at Children’s Hospital of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City, and her third year of training at Arnold Palmer Hospital in Orlando. Dr. Ulrich has practiced pediatric medicine for more than 26 years and works at Pediatrics in Brevard, the Melbourne office, located at 1755 W. Hibiscus Blvd. 

References:

Chen TY, Janke MC. “Gardening as a potential activity to reduce falls in older adults.”  J Aging Phys Act. 2012 Jan;20(1):15-31.

Feng M. “Associations of Early Life Exposures and Environmental Factors With Asthma Among Children in Rural and Urban Areas of Guangdong, China.”  Chest. 2016 Apr;149(4):1030-41. doi: 10.1016/j.chest.2015.12.028. Epub 2016 Jan 18.

Forrest KY and Stuhldreher WL.  “Prevalence and Correlates of Vitamin D Deficiency in US Adults.” 

Nutr Res. 2011 Jan;31(1):48-54. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2010.12.001.

Langer-Gould A, et al. ”MS Sunshine Study: Sun Exposure But Not Vitamin D Is Associated with Multiple Sclerosis Risk in Blacks and Hispanics.” Nutrients. 2018 Feb 27;10(3). pii: E268. doi: 10.3390/nu10030268.

Lerner PP, et al.  “Association Between Mental Disorders, Cognitive Disturbances and Vitamin D Serum Level:  Current State.”  Clin. Nutr. ESPEN. 2018 Feb; 23:89-102. doi: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2017.11.011. Epub 2017 Dec 23.

Sansone, Randy A., MD and Lori A. Sansone, MD.  “Sunshine, Serotonin, and Skin: A Partial Explanation for Seasonal Patterns in Psychopathology?” Innov Clin Neurosci. 2013 Jul-Aug; 10(7-8): 20–24.