Beneficial sun. News of health, medicine and longevity

The question of how the sun is useful and how it affects the human body was asked back in antiquity. The ancient sages already understood that fresh air and sunbathing helped quickly heal wounds and relieved many external and internal health problems.

Today, the influence of UV rays has been well studied, which means that it is really possible to get the maximum benefit from sunbathing.

Health Benefits of the Sun

Solar radiation that reaches the surface of the earth is divided into ultraviolet A and B. Ultraviolet C is the most dangerous; it is retained by the ozone layer of the atmosphere. UVA and UVB stimulate the production of special substances in human skin. This is due to the positive influence of the sun.

Benefits of contact of UV rays with human skin:

stimulation of the production of vitamin D, which is involved in calcium metabolism, protects against malignant tumors and strengthens the immune system;
with moderate exposure to the sun, blood pressure decreases and heart rate normalizes;
increasing the functioning of the immune system due to the production of antibodies;
healing of skin wounds, improvement of dermatitis, psoriasis, acne and acne;
increased metabolic processes and activation of cellular respiration.

The sun directly affects a person's mood and general emotional state. With the first rays of spring, a person’s apathy and depression disappear, tearfulness and insomnia go away. This is due to the hormone serotonin, which is actively produced under the influence of UV rays. In addition to serotonin, the sun improves the synthesis of sex hormones in women and men, therefore, in the spring-summer period, sexual desire is increased, and dishormonal conditions are temporarily stabilized.

Tanning is another conditional benefit of the sun, which lies in a beautiful skin color. In fact, this is the body’s protection from ultraviolet radiation, but in the light of fashion trends it acts as a positive thing.

The benefits and harms of tanning in the sun

Under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, the substance melanin is formed in the upper layer of the skin - the epidermis. It is synthesized by special cells - melanocytes. The sun's rays only need to touch a person's skin for 5 minutes to trigger the production of melanin and vitamin D. The intensity of their formation depends on the type of skin and the time spent outside. If you sunbathe regularly, your tan will last throughout the warm season. In winter, melanin is partially destroyed and removed from cells. Vitamin D also goes away.

But besides the benefits, there is also harm:

the rate of skin photoaging increases (dry epidermis, deepening of wrinkles, including facial wrinkles);
the risk of developing skin cancer and its most complex form, melanoma, increases;
the likelihood of allergies due to prolonged exposure to the sun;
worsening of some chronic skin diseases;
the appearance of pigment spots, white spots.

Tanning is especially harmful for people with fair skin and hair, children and nursing mothers. They have increased sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation, and the protection processes, that is, the production of melanin, are not intense. Therefore, exposure to UV rays for more than 20-30 minutes leads to burns.

How to tan properly

Due to the incidence of skin cancer, doctors have created a list of recommendations for sunbathing. Their main rule is moderation and protection. How long to bathe in UV rays, at what time and what protection to use depends on your skin type and region. The closer the region is to the equator, the more intense the solar radiation and the higher the risk of burns.

What is the best time to sunbathe?

Ultraviolet radiation peaks from 12 noon to 4 pm. The rest of the day is conditionally safe. This does not mean that you can only go outside and sunbathe in the morning and evening. It is difficult to maintain such a regime on vacation at sea. Therefore, it is permissible to actively sunbathe from 8.00 to 11.00 or from 17.00 to 20.00. The rest of the time you can sit under an umbrella, on a closed terrace, under a canopy so that direct sunlight does not touch your skin.

Advice! During active sunbathing, it is recommended to wear a hat to prevent heat stroke and protect your hair from moisture loss.

During the first days by the sea, they choose places further from the water's edge, since the surface of the sea is reflective, which means that the risk of burns increases significantly. Also, you should not sunbathe immediately after leaving the water; you must dry your body with a towel.

How long can you sunbathe?

The lighter the skin, the shorter the sun exposure. Active sunbathing begins with a 15-minute sunbath at the permitted time. In this case, apply a protective cream to the skin 30 minutes before going outside. If the skin is white and thin, on the first day tan for 5-10 minutes in the morning and evening.

For 1 week, sunbathing time is increased to 30-40 minutes; for people with active melanin production, this time is increased to 1 hour. If you use a protective cream with a protection level of more than 30, even 2 hours in the sun will not harm your health, but only with preliminary preparation of the skin.

Is it possible for pregnant and breastfeeding women to sunbathe?

Ultraviolet light penetrates only 15 mm into the skin. That is, other tissues and organs do not feel its direct effects. This means that sun tanning is absolutely safe for the fetus, but not always for the pregnant woman. The point is the increased sensitivity of a pregnant woman’s body to any external influences, including sunlight. In combination with a special hormonal status, a woman’s risk of developing age spots on the face and body increases.

Other negative factors of tanning:

increased blood pressure;
increased blood flow;
allergy.

This reaction does not occur in everyone, but in order not to fall into a risk group, it is better to limit the time of sunbathing to the recommended time.

Sun for children

Ultraviolet light is a good doctor for children. Your baby can be healed with simple sunbathing combined with clean sea air. This will increase its defenses for many months, strengthen bones and improve the condition of atopic dermatitis. A child's body reacts more strongly to ultraviolet radiation than an adult. All metabolic processes accelerate, vitamin D is actively produced and calcium is absorbed, blood pressure rises and blood vessels dilate.

Some rules for staying in the sun with children:

children under 2 years old can only be exposed to direct rays for 10 minutes a day;
for children from 3 years of age, the stay is increased to 30 minutes, but with their head and shoulders covered;
prohibition on walking at temperatures above 25°C;
To avoid rapid loss of moisture, observe the drinking regime. They drink often, but little by little.

Sunlight is beneficial for children only in moderation. Any burn is fraught with increased pigmentation in the future and the development of an allergy to UV. If the family goes, 2 weeks in advance they begin to prepare the child for active exposure to the sun. To do this, they walk every day 2 times in the morning and in the evening, in hot and sunny weather they lubricate the body with a special cream. They teach the child to wear a hat, preferably a Panama hat with a brim that will protect the face, neck and hair.

How to protect your skin and hair from the sun

When exposed to ultraviolet light for a long time, protection and hydration are important. If the body is often covered with clothes, then the face, hands and hair are almost always open. These areas need to be looked after more carefully. Headgear is the first and most effective means of protection. This is a cap or hat with a brim, or a Panama hat, mostly white. Hair and facial skin are well protected in this case.

If a headdress is inappropriate, you must:

In the morning, lubricate the skin of your face and neck with moisturizer, and 20-30 minutes before going outside, apply a sunscreen spray or cream with SPF 15 or higher;
collect hair in a light hairstyle. Tight and complex hairstyles with hairspray and other styling products increase hair fragility, and in summer they lose a lot of moisture and often fall out;
in the evening after a shower, make moisturizing and caring masks for face and hair from natural homemade ingredients 2-3 times a week.

While relaxing at sea, to protect your face from the sun, you should not use lotions containing alcohol. They increase sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation and provoke skin pigmentation.

How to choose sunscreen

It all depends on the time spent in the sun, skin type and reaction to ultraviolet radiation. The darker the skin, the less protection in the form of a cream is needed. So blacks don’t need it at all.

The essence of any protective equipment is the reflection of sunlight and the adsorption of ultraviolet radiation. The degree of protection shows how long a person can conditionally stay in the sun without harming the skin. To calculate this time you need:

determine how many minutes of exposure to the sun the skin turns red without protection;
multiply this time in minutes by the SPF number;
So, if the skin becomes redder in 5 minutes, and a cream with a degree of 10 is chosen, then you can be in the sun for 50 minutes (5 × 10).

These are conditional calculations, since individual characteristics are not taken into account. These include age and skin condition. So, up to 35 years of age, the skin can independently cope with moderate UV radiation, and if the UV index does not exceed 3, then on this day you can not use the cream at all. The UV index value can be viewed in weather forecasts for your region. To protect your child from the sun, use creams with an SPF level of 30-50.

The benefits and harms of sunscreens

The action of any sunscreen or spray is based on the filters it contains. Their role is played by substances such as benzophenone or titanium dioxide, which with frequent use cause allergies or exacerbation of skin diseases. Therefore, it is important to choose a product that is optimally suited for all indicators, from skin type and condition to age and place of residence.

Important! With frequent use, chemical filters accumulate in the upper layers of the skin, and, in addition to allergies or inflammation, provoke cancer.

It is believed that spring tanning is the most aggressive, since the skin after winter is very sensitive to ultraviolet radiation, so negative consequences from sunbathing in the form of burns or allergies are almost inevitable. In the spring, doctors recommend actively using creams with protection from 15 and above, and in the summer switching to a lower level of 2-4 SPF.

If we talk about the benefits, it consists in reflecting ultraviolet radiation and protecting against its penetration into the deep layers of the skin. Burns or pigmentation are not dangerous if the cream is selected correctly.

Harm from sunlight to humans

In general, the sun is beneficial for health and general well-being. But harmful effects also need to be taken into account. People with large moles on the body and hormonal imbalances are at risk. Under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, processes in moles can lead to the degeneration of cells from normal to malignant. This can be determined by their intensive growth, change in shape, and discomfort in the problem area.

The harm of the sun to the skin of people with hormonal disorders is the appearance of large pigment spots. This indicates a disruption in the process of melanin formation in the epidermis of different parts of the body. Typically, pigmentation affects open areas of the body: face, shoulders, chest. Not everyone develops this reaction.

Photoaging is another harm that ultraviolet radiation brings. If the skin is not protected, ultraviolet light penetrates deep into the skin, causing an imbalance in water balance. This causes the skin tone to decrease, it loses moisture, and collagen synthesis processes are disrupted. This causes a network of wrinkles and noticeable aging of the skin to appear on the face and body.

Hypertensive patients and heart patients suffer from hypertensive crisis and tachycardia from prolonged exposure to the sun.

Who should not sunbathe?

The list of contraindications for sunbathing can be presented as follows:

hypertension, poor circulation;
diseases of the endocrine system, in particular the thyroid gland;
neurosis;
varicose veins (legs and other areas are protected by clothing);
children under 2 years of age.

Photosensitivity, old age, obesity, skin diseases are reasons to limit your time in the sun. Sun protection for children should be especially careful, especially if the child has light skin and hair color.

The benefits of the sun for humans have been confirmed. It’s not for nothing that the best treatment for bad mood and well-being is a resort on the shore of a warm sea. The production of vitamin D and the happiness hormone serotonin are two components of effective recovery.

Did you find this article useful?

The sun can be both our friend and our enemy. With the right approach, you can use it to strengthen your health, boost your immunity and improve your mood. And, on the contrary, unreasonable use of its capabilities can cause serious health problems. In this short article we will look at the positive and negative effects of the Sun on the human body.

The benefits of the sun for human health

Regular sunbathing has a positive effect on our body. They help improve metabolism and blood composition, increase overall tone.

It has long been proven that sunlight can kill the causative agents of many diseases, including such serious ones as skin tuberculosis. In addition, under the influence of ultraviolet rays, the human body produces vitamin D, on which the strength of our bones and teeth depends. With a deficiency of this vitamin, rickets occurs in children.

An overdose of even the most beneficial medicine is harmful. The same can be said about the sun's rays. Excessive exposure to the sun entails a lot of unpleasant consequences. Those who like to sunbathe on the beaches for hours should definitely know about this.

Ultraviolet light can have a destructive effect on the skin. Excessive sunbathing can cause premature skin aging and early appearance of wrinkles. In addition, excessive sun exposure increases the risk of melanoma and other dangerous diseases. In order to avoid these consequences, you should sunbathe during the periods from 9 to 11 and from 16 to 19 hours, when UV rays are weakest. When going outside, you should definitely use protective products for your skin and hair to reduce the negative impact of the Sun on the human body.

It is necessary to protect not only the head and body, but also the eyes, since ultraviolet radiation destroys the retina. To avoid this, you should wear sunglasses. Their choice should be approached very responsibly. Low quality glasses can only increase the destructive power of UV rays. So you should buy this important accessory only in optics, and not in underground passages and other dubious places.

Thanks to the Sun, life appeared on our planet; sunlight ensures the vital activity of all living things. The benefits of the Sun are clear and undeniable.

Without the Sun, there would be no green meadows, shady forests and rivers, flowering gardens, grain fields on Earth; neither humans, nor animals, nor plants could exist.
From a scientific point of view, all actions that are performed on Earth are in one way or another subordinate to the Sun. For example, the Sun influences the gaseous atmosphere that surrounds the entire globe, as a result of which we can observe various natural phenomena every day in the form of precipitation, wind or fog.

Audio release of the program

http://sun-helps.myjino.ru/sop/20180219_sop.mp3

The sun contains a huge amount of energy. Only about a billionth of this energy reaches Earth. But it is thanks to it that the water cycle occurs on Earth, life has developed and is developing.

The positive influence of the Sun on the human body was noticed already in ancient times. Sick and weakened people were prescribed walks in the open air and sunbathing. This contributed to the improvement of their health. Regular sunbathing helps improve metabolism and blood composition, and increases overall tone.

It has long been proven that sunlight can kill pathogens of many diseases., including such serious ones as skin tuberculosis. In addition, under the influence of ultraviolet rays, the human body produces vitamin D, on which the strength of our bones and teeth depends. With a deficiency of this vitamin, rickets occurs in children.
In the brain, under the influence of the sun, serotonin is produced - a hormone that plays a huge role in the processes of blood clotting, it is also called the “happiness hormone”; the presence of serotonin in the blood in sufficient quantities improves mood.
By charging with solar energy, the body receives a powerful positive impulse, the mood is leveled, the nervous system calms down. Sunbathing is the best stress reliever!

There is no life without sunlight, just as there is no life without air and water. For animals and plants, the Sun is the same source of strength as for humans, who, unfortunately, too rarely know how to use the beneficial influence of sunlight on their body.
Everything that exists on Earth depends on sunlight. If the Sun suddenly stopped its activity, then the Earth itself would freeze, and everything on it would become numb and die.
The Sun also gives us psychic energy. Both ancient philosophers and the outstanding Russian scientist Alexander Chizhevsky spoke about this. A person also has psychic energy, so a person must definitely connect with the Sun and pay attention to it. This is not a light bulb, this is a great Luminary, without which we cannot live.
And by turning to him with all our hearts and with all our hearts, we will receive benefit and help not only for ourselves personally, but also for the whole society. Remember the world, remember the planet, remember the Sun, and then they will remember you!

The sun is light, the sun is warmth, the sun is everything that exists. If there were no Sun or if it were different, life on Earth would also be different. Or maybe it wouldn’t exist at all... Many religions are based on the worship of the Sun. In India - Brahma, personifying the principle of good, in Egypt - Osiris - a symbol of eternal life (he dies in the evening, is reborn in the morning), among the Persians - Mithra, Adonai (now one of the names of God in Judaism and Christianity) among the Phoenicians, among the Greeks - Apollo . The Russians also had a sun god - Yarilo. In Islam, the day of the spring solstice, March 21, is celebrated with the special holiday “Navruz”. Breathorians believe that it is possible to live life by subsisting on nothing but sunlight, air, and water.

There is no doubt that the sun is necessary for the body.

Very recent studies by a group of scientists led by Richard Weller (Edinburgh) have found that when a person is in the sun, a person’s blood pressure decreases, the formation of blood clots decreases, and therefore the sun not only improves health, but also prolongs life and can prevent the occurrence of serious diseases such as stroke and heart attack. And if you put on the scale the benefits of preventing heart disease and the harm from the possibility of cancer, then the first will win.

The scientists’ findings are relevant because previously the main benefit of being in the sun was only one thing – the production of vitamin D.

Scientists warn that time spent in the sun will be studied in the future. Only the first conclusions have been made.

Benefits of the sun

In the brain, under the influence of the sun, serotonin is produced (let us clarify that serotonin is produced not only under the influence of the sun) - a hormone that plays a huge role in the processes of blood clotting, affects allergic reactions, it is called the “happiness hormone”, the presence of serotonin in the blood in sufficient quantities increases mood, responsible for sexual arousal.
Under the influence of the sun, vitamin D (calciferol) is produced, which helps strengthen bone tissue, helps remove heavy metals from the body, and helps strengthen the immune system.
Under the influence of the sun's rays, the body releases biologically inert NO 3 nitrite and turns into nitrate and nitric oxide, which lower blood pressure and reduce the likelihood of heart attacks and strokes.
The sun has an antibacterial effect, the number of acne decreases, wounds and cuts heal faster, which means the skin becomes better.

Sun damage

Tanning is the body’s protective reaction to the sun’s rays; it is the first sign of the harmful effects of the sun on the human body. With further exposure to the sun, you can get a burn (the skin hurts, redness appears, and then the skin peels off). Some people may develop melanoma (skin cancer).
Harmful to the eyes/
Prolonged exposure to ultraviolet rays dries the skin, which means it contributes to aging.
If you stay in the sun for a long time, sunstroke is possible. Signs: nausea, increased heart rate, increased temperature. Loss of consciousness and even death are possible.

When you are in the sun, you need to take some precautionary measures:

Put a hat on your head, preferably a light one;
Use special sunscreen products;
Put on your sunglasses;
Try to avoid being in the sun during the day between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Believing that the sun's rays are harmful, many girls began to replace natural tanning with artificial tanning. Of course, the opportunity to get a beautiful tan all over your body is attractive. But remember that artificial tanning is no less harmful. In addition, it does not bring the joy of being in the sun. A healthy lifestyle will allow you to do without artificial tanning.
Many women are embarrassed to go to the beach because of a few extra pounds. A summer diet will help you lose weight quickly and effectively. Having adjusted By eating in a certain way towards a healthy diet, you can not only enjoy the sun's rays, but also help your body adjust in such a way as to get not burnt skin in spots, but a beautiful chocolate tan.

6 components of a beautiful tan:

Tyrosine is an amino acid from which melanin is formed and is found in protein foods;
Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that is not produced in the human body and must be supplied with protein foods; it stimulates the immune system;
Beta-carotene is a pigment that helps protect the skin from ultraviolet radiation and, therefore, burns, an antioxidant, found in red and yellow foods of plant origin;
Tocopherol - vitamin E, prevents the removal of moisture from the surface of the skin, and as a result - aging, the main content in oils of plant origin;
Selenium is a chemical element that strengthens the immune system and is found in large quantities in seafood (squid, seaweed), cabbage, garlic;
Lycopene is a pigment that promotes an even tan and is found in red fruits.

The sun won't hurt you, but it can punish you. Therefore, do not neglect the rules of sun protection. Whether the sun will bring joy or bring trouble - it depends only on you. A healthy lifestyle without life-giving rays is not possible. Diseases are located where the Sun rarely looks.

Interesting: the sun normalizes the production of female hormones in both women and men. A

Summer, sun, beach - is it beneficial or harmful and, most importantly, to what extent? Scientists have argued that the sun is more beneficial than harmful, since solar radiation lowers blood pressure. But health experts are conservative and never tire of warning about the dangers of excess sunlight.

Small amounts of UV radiation are healthy and necessary for the production of vitamin D. But overexposure to UV rays increases the risk of various types of skin cancer, accelerates skin aging, and causes cataracts and other eye diseases. There is evidence that UV radiation reduces the effectiveness of the immune system by changing the activity of immune cells, says in the INTERSUN newsletter- programs of the World Health Organization.

A few facts

- From 50% to 90% of skin cancer is associated with UV radiation from the sun or artificial irradiation sources in tanning beds;
— In 2000, over 200 thousand cases of melanoma were diagnosed and 65 thousand people died from it;
— In 2000, 2.8 million cases of squamous cell carcinoma and 10 million cases of basal cell carcinoma were diagnosed;
— In 2000, there were 60 thousand premature deaths due to excessive exposure to UV radiation;
— Around the world, approximately 18 million people go blind as a result of cataracts, about 5% of cataract cases are caused by exposure to UV radiation;
— UV radiation causes photoaging of the skin, its manifestations are loss of elasticity and the development of solar keratosis;
— It is recommended to use sun protection when the ultraviolet index (UVI) reaches a value of 3 or higher.

UV radiation and sunburn increase the incidence of three types of skin cancer. One of them is melanoma, an aggressive cancer that is life-threatening. This is one of the most dangerous human malignant tumors, developing from melanocytes - pigment cells that produce melanin, a natural dark pigment found in the skin, hair, and retina. Newly published figures show that 2,000 people die from melanoma every year in the UK, prompting experts to talk more about how to protect themselves from sun damage. The other two types are subtypes of carcinoma, a type of malignant tumor that develops from epithelial tissue cells of various organs (skin, mucous membranes and many internal organs). Squamous cell carcinoma of the skin usually does not develop as quickly as melanoma and is less likely to cause death. Basal cell carcinoma is a slow-growing skin cancer that primarily affects older people.

But if everyone knows or guesses about the negative effects of excess sun rays on the skin, then the effect of UV radiation on the eyes is often forgotten.

Meanwhile, acute exposure to UV radiation causes photokeratitis and photoconjunctivitis (inflammation of the cornea and conjunctiva). Chronic exposure to UV radiation can cause cataracts (clouding of the lens leading to blurred vision and sometimes blindness), pterygium (a white growth on the surface of the eye), or squamous cell carcinoma of the cornea or conjunctiva (a rare type of tumor on the surface of the eye).

The level of ultraviolet radiation depends on many factors. First of all, of course, this is the height of the sun: the higher the sun in the sky, the more UV rays. UK National Health Service draws attention to the fact that,

Although the sun's maximum height occurs between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. local time, there are a number of factors that can increase UV radiation at other times.

This is, for example, reflection from the ground: many surfaces reflect the sun's rays and increase the amount of ultraviolet radiation (for example, grass, soil and water reflect less than 10% of UV radiation, fresh snow - more than 80%, dry sand - 15%, sea foam - 25 %). The amount of ultraviolet radiation depends on the geographic latitude of the area (the closer to the equator, the more UV radiation), altitude above sea level (UV radiation increases by 5% with every thousand meters of altitude) and the amount of ozone (ozone absorbs some UV radiation from sun; as the ozone layer becomes thinner, more UV rays reach the Earth's surface). UV radiation is higher under clear skies, but don't forget that even under cloudy skies it can be quite high.

Children and adolescents are especially sensitive to the damaging effects of UV radiation. Excessive sun exposure in children can lead to cancer later in life.

People with fair skin suffer more from sunburn and are at higher risk of developing skin cancer than people with dark skin. However, although the incidence of skin cancer is lower among black people, their disease is often detected at a later, more dangerous stage.

The risk of eye damage, premature skin aging and immune suppression does not depend on skin type.

To protect against UV radiation it is recommended:
- limit exposure to the midday sun;
- hide in the shadows;
- wear hats to protect the face and neck;
- wear sunglasses with 99-100 percent protection from UV-A and UV-B rays;
— apply protective creams with a protection factor (SPF) 30+ to uncovered areas of the body;
- Avoid tanning salons: visiting solariums before the age of 35 provokes a 75 percent increase in the risk of melanoma; recommends prohibiting the use of solariums by persons under 18 years of age;
- Keep babies and small children in the shade.

If you are on vacation in warm, sunny countries, then the most important recommendation is to stay in the sun for a limited time (depending on the intensity and height of the sun above the horizon, this period can range from 15 minutes to an hour and a half). You need to sunbathe no more than once every 24 hours and regularly examine your skin: if any suspicious changes appear - increased size of moles or strange growths - you should immediately consult a doctor.

In one of the following materials, Gazeta.Ru will talk about the symptoms and prevention of heat stroke.