{"id":13128,"date":"2021-03-25T05:24:19","date_gmt":"2021-03-25T09:24:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/conversational.com\/?p=13128"},"modified":"2022-10-17T11:24:40","modified_gmt":"2022-10-17T15:24:40","slug":"4-benefits-get-from-sunlight-fresh-air","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/conversational.com\/4-benefits-get-from-sunlight-fresh-air\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Benefits You Get from Sunlight and Fresh Air"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Imagine lying in a windswept meadow with soft, diffused sun rays beaming down on you and a gentle breeze blowing around you. It\u2019s a calming scene for many. We tend to associate sunshine and fresh air with happiness and peace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the arrival of Spring, the sun\u2019s rays are hitting the Earth in a more direct way, giving way to warmer days and ample opportunities to get outside. If you\u2019ve ever noticed the rejuvenating effects of being outside on a sunny day, you\u2019re not imagining things\u2013the benefits are real.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sunlight and fresh air can help you avoid or shorten respiratory infections, reliably disinfect linens and fabrics, synthesize needed vitamin D, control cholesterol levels, and regulate mood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
People have believed in the power of sunlight and fresh air for centuries. Florence Nightingale, famous for caring for British soldiers during the Crimean War as a nurse, recommended that patients\u2019 windows be kept open as much as possible without making the patient cold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She also knew about the disinfectant properties of sunlight before they had been proven: \u201cIt is the unqualified result of all my experience with the sick, that second only to their need of fresh air is their need of light, and that it is not only light but direct sun-light they want.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fast-forward to today, and although science has made tremendous progress, we\u2019re finding that much of what we believed about the power of sunlight in centuries past was correct. Additionally, we are learning that sunlight and fresh air provide more benefits than we knew about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A 2011 study from a Chinese university found that dorm rooms with the lowest rates of ventilation were associated with higher instances of respiratory infections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even the World Health Organization (WHO) confirms that natural ventilation\u2013allowing fresh air to circulate\u2013is an important part of infection control. They recommend natural ventilation as a means to reduce infection risk at healthcare facilities. You can get the same benefits at your home or office<\/a> by opening the windows and getting a backdraft of fresh air going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A 2015 study on Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) found that increased exposure to sunlight may increase levels of a \u201cnatural antidepressant in the brain.\u201d The study tracked the participants\u2019 levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin on sunny and cloudy days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They found that on sunny days, the brain tended to produce more serotonin and on darker days, the brain produced lower-than-normal levels of serotonin. The researchers said this is evidence<\/a> that reduced serotonin levels over time, whether by cloudy weather or staying primarily indoors, can be a factor in the development of SAD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Symptoms associated with SAD include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition, these symptoms must be experienced in the winter season or along with a seasonal change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sunlight (phototherapy) helps ease the symptoms of SAD by raising the brain\u2019s serotonin levels. Some doctors recommend artificial lightboxes for this reason. However, natural sunlight provides additional benefits that lightboxes and special bulbs do not, like synthesizing vitamin D and lowering cholesterol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Numerous studies have shown that both exposure to natural sunlight and fresh air are effective disinfectants that kill bacteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When bacteria comes into contact with fresh air, something called the open-air factor<\/em> occurs. The open-air factor phenomenon refers to when compounds in the air act as a disinfectant that kills germs and pathogens. Bacteria survive in closed areas better than when they\u2019re exposed to fresh air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When microbes that cause infection and disease are exposed to natural sunlight for extended periods of time, the Journal of Hospital Infection<\/em> states that \u201c\u2026the majority of microbes that cause airborne infections cannot tolerate sunlight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cholesterol is the precursor to vitamin D. Did you know that both are formed in your skin? When you expose your skin to sunlight for an extended period of time (15 minutes or more), the cholesterol in your skin begins to transform<\/a> into vitamin D.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The sunlight is the additional energy needed to turn potentially-dangerous cholesterol into a vitamin your body needs and may be deficient in. It\u2019s a win-win!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Imagine lying in a windswept meadow with soft, diffused sun rays beaming down on you and a gentle breeze blowing around you. It\u2019s a calming scene for many. We tend to associate sunshine and fresh air with happiness and peace. With the arrival of Spring, the sun\u2019s rays are hitting the Earth in a more direct way, giving way to … Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19056,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13128","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-miscellaneous"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n2. Boosts mood<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
3. Disinfects naturally<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
4. Increases vitamin D + lowers cholesterol<\/h2>\n\n\n\n