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Benefits of Sunlight on Mental Health

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On exposure to sunlight, there is an increase in the brain’s release of serotonin. Read below to learn about the same.

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Rajesh Gulati

Published At April 27, 2023
Reviewed AtDecember 6, 2023

Introduction

Sunlight is linked to mental health. When there is a decrease in sunlight, it tends to disrupt the body’s internal clock and results in depression. Sunlight and darkness both are responsible for the release of hormones. Serotonin is a hormone that is responsible for boosting one’s mood and helps in keeping calm and focused. Exposure to sunlight produces more serotonin and helps in keeping good mental health.

What Is the Benefit of Sunlight on Mental Health?

Sunlight is very essential for many health benefits. It increases the release of the hormone serotonin from the brain when an individual gets exposed to sunlight. If sufficient sunlight is not being exposed to an individual, serotonin levels may drop in that particular person. This may lead to severe depression that follows the seasonal pattern also known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). It is called seasonal as depression is activated during seasonal changes. Sunlight not only boosts the mood but also has many health benefits.

When sun rays fall on the eye, it stimulates the release of serotonin. When sunlight signals special areas of the retina, it triggers the release of the hormone serotonin. Hence depression is generally seen in winter.

Sunlight is beneficial in other conditions like the following:

  • Depression due to other than seasonal change.

  • Premenstrual dysmorphic disorder (PMDD).

  • Depression during pregnancy.

Disorders related to anxiety and panic disorders also have a link to changing seasons and reduced sunlight.

How Sunlight Is Linked to Mental Health?

Sunlight has hazardous and beneficial effects. Hazardous effects include skin cancer, sunburns, and premature aging if exposed to more sunlight. Benefits like good bone and immune health, preventing depression, and other conditions like SAD, panic disorder, and anxiety.

Sunlight helps in making vitamin D. This vitamin is very much essential to the body and without it calcium cannot be processed. Vitamin D is needed for bone, nerve, muscular, heart, lung, dental, immune, and mental health. A deficiency of this vitamin and calcium causes many serious conditions like cancer, rickets, diabetes, high blood pressure, schizophrenia, and depression.

Studies have found a strong relationship between vitamin D deficiency and serious conditions like mental health disorders. These conditions are related to seasons and more prevalent among people dwelling away from the equator because these are exposed to little sunlight and the hours of the day in winter are less in this region.

Sunlight is beneficial in the following conditions:

Depression:

Many people suffer from a condition called depression. More than 121 million people worldwide are affected. Depression can be treated by giving sunlight exposure and vitamin D supplementation. Vitamin D regulates the hormone serotonin and calcium levels thereby impacting depression. Studies have also shown that there is a role of sunlight and vitamin D in other childhood conditions like autism spectrum disorders, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Light therapy means a treatment that involves daily doses of artificial light used to treat diseases like SAD, depression that is not related to seasonal change, and bipolar disorder.

Schizophrenia:

Schizophrenia is a mental health condition, in which affected individuals experience hallucinations and delusions. There is a deficiency of vitamin D among affected individuals with schizophrenia. Studies have shown that if there is less exposure to sunlight during the period of infancy, they are more prone to get affected by schizophrenia. In individuals affected with schizophrenia among whom vitamin D deficiency is present, acute symptoms can be seen.

Seasonal Affective Disorder:

In this type of condition, negative changes in mood can be seen during seasonal changes, especially during winter. Even it can be seen in summer and called summer - pattern SAD. Sunlight plays an important role in this type of condition. Many studies have proven that vitamin D deficiency can drop the levels of serotonin (neurotransmitter) responsible for mood stabilization and the sleep cycle. Light therapy is found to be effective in treating symptoms of SAD.

Eating Disorder:

Studies have found that eating disorders do occur in darker months like during winter. This condition has a link with vitamin D deficiency that is related to sun exposure and in turn related to serotonin. Bright sunlight and vitamin D supplementation help in reducing the symptoms of this condition and prevent an eating disorder.

Illnesses related to vitamin D deficiency can be benefitted from exposure to sunlight, light therapy, and vitamin D supplementation. Hence it is important for everyone to have sun exposure and supplementation. Around a billion people in the world are deficient in vitamin D.

Vitamin D sources are sunlight, food, and supplementation. Most of them get 90% from sunlight. Many factors are involved in how much sunlight one is exposed to.

Foods that are rich in vitamin D are egg yolks, cereals, milk, orange juice, liver, fatty saltwater fish, red meat, etc.

Tips to Get More Sun Exposure:

Track the time of exposure to the sun: Try to write down how much time to spent in sunlight every day, and note down the weather conditions, and any supplementations that are taken every day. Then note down how much sunlight makes the person feel better.

Going out in the breaks may help get exposure to sunlight during work. In a span of time, doing so makes an individual feel better.

What Are the Risks That Can Occur Due to Excessive Vitamin D or Sun Exposure?

Toxicity can happen if consumed excessively through supplements. Hence recommended doses should be taken every day.

Individuals with darker skin suffer from vitamin D deficiency. A natural skin protector called melanin in their skin slows the rate of production of vitamin D. Excessive sunlight may damage the skin and hence skin protection is important.

Conclusion

Sunlight provides enormous mental and physical health benefits. It does not even cost. Hence it is important for each and every one to get exposed to sunlight to get the most out of it. It has many roles to play in the human body. It is essential to know about the benefits of sunlight on general health and mental health. Knowing helps one to seek advice from a healthcare professional early. Early diagnosis helps achieve effective treatment. This in turn helps in achieving a good quality of life.

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Dr. Rajesh Gulati
Dr. Rajesh Gulati

Family Physician

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