Awaken a vibrant spring. The spring breeze is gentle, the sun is just right, and everything is a good start.
"The plan of the year lies in spring", the spring sun, like the newborn sun, mild, not as hot as summer, not as cold as winter, very suitable for basking in the sun.
Image source: 123RF
Especially in the eyes of scientists, moderate sunlight can bring a lot of benefits, and even "prevent disease".
Moderate sun exposure may prevent dementia
In 2022, the Chinese research team published a study of more than 360,000 people at BMC Medicine. The participants reported their average hours of outdoor sun exposure each day in summer and winter.
The study found a "J-shaped" relationship between light duration and dementia risk, i.e. too little or too long outdoor exposure increases dementia risk.
The best outdoor sun hours are an average of 1.5 hours of sun exposure per day, 2 hours a day in summer and 1 hour per day in winter. According to this time of sun exposure, the chance of suffering from dementia has a tendency to decrease.
Compared with the average, summer and winter outdoor sunshine time of 1.5 hours, 2 hours and 1 hour, respectively, the risk of dementia increased significantly when the outdoor sunshine time was shorter. When outdoor sunlight is longer, the risk of dementia increases at a relatively slow rate.
In other words, if the sun exposure is shorter or longer than average, it has no effect on reducing the risk of dementia.
Image source: 123RF
However, it can also be understood that it is better to bask in the sun than not to bask in the sun, and a longer time in the sun is better than a shorter time in the sun. Older people over the age of 60 need sun exposure more than young people.
In addition, one of the reasons why moderate sun exposure can improve cognitive function and prevent dementia may be that sunlight promotes vitamin D synthesis in the skin, and vitamin D can promote brain health through a variety of ways, thereby delaying the process of cognitive decline in the elderly.
Not only that, outdoor sun exposure may also affect cognitive function by regulating circadian rhythms and the body's biological clock.
Of course, everything is too much, excessive sun exposure will be harmful to human health, such as sunburn, skin cancer, cataracts, ultraviolet keratitis and other eye diseases.
Scientific sunbathing, grasp a few "degrees"
I believe that there are many friends who want to get in the sun, but are worried about tanning or increasing the risk of skin cancer.
In fact, we can minimize the adverse effects through the following 6 methods.
Seize the moment
Avoid 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. as much as possible, which is the peak time of day for UV rays.
Population differences
People of different ages have a large difference in skin tolerance to sunlight and can be adjusted slightly.
Adult:
It takes about 1 hour of exposure a day.
Infants and children:
Due to the delicate skin, the sun exposure time can be appropriately shortened to 15-30 minutes.
Senior citizen:
Due to the reduced ability to synthesize and utilize vitamin D, the time can be appropriately extended, but not too long at a time.
Best outdoors
It is best to go to an outdoor environment with good greenery and fresh air.
In the summer, many people have air conditioning on in the house due to the hot weather, and the sun is basking through the glass, but this basically has no effect.
Because sunlight stimulates skin epidermal cells to produce vitamin D, it is UVB radiation with a wavelength of 290~315 nm. Glass, plexiglass, plastic and other materials will absorb all UVB radiation, and the skin through the glass cannot produce vitamin D, thereby not promoting calcium metabolism.
Image source: 123RF
Dress less
Wearing sunscreen clothing is difficult for ultraviolet rays to penetrate the clothes and act on the skin, so try to remove sunscreen clothing. If you are afraid of tanning your face, try to wear a hat with a brim. To prevent glare, wear a pair of sunglasses.
Diet "skincare"
After basking in the sun, remember to replenish water and properly supplement foods rich in vitamin B3, such as animal liver, chicken breast, salmon, pork, avocado, mushrooms, etc., to help protect the skin.
Repair after sunburning
If you stay in the sun for a long time, the skin appears warm, red, tingling, and it should be repaired after sun exposure at night. You can use a wet towel slightly below body temperature to cool and repair the skin, and then carry out hydration, moisturizing and other treatments.
Sunlight, an indispensable substance for the growth of all things, including people, also needs sunlight. As a healthy habit, moderate sun exposure can bring great benefits to our physical and mental health, so why not!
Resources:
[1] LingZhi Ma, YaHui Ma , YaNan Ou et al. Time spent in outdoor light is associated with the risk of dementia: a prospective cohort study of 362094 participants[J]. BMC Medicine (2022) 20:132.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-022-02331-2
[2] Wacker, M., & Holick, M. F. (2013). Sunlight and Vitamin D: A global perspective for health. Dermato-endocrinology, 5(1), 51-108.
Disclaimer: WuXi AppTec's content team focuses on global biomedical health research progress. This article is for informational purposes only, and the views expressed in this article do not represent the position of WuXi AppTec, nor do they represent WuXi AppTec's support or disapproval of the views expressed herein. This article is also not a treatment recommendation. For guidance on treatment options, go to a regular hospital.
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