“Beavis and Butt-Head Do America” (1996) had this scene where both were collapsed in a desert, completely disoriented, and Butt-Head proclaiming: “The Sun sucks,” to which Beavis agreed with all his heart. Yes, it could feel that way most of the time, especially if there’s way too much sun. You start thinking the heat has completely drained off your brain fluid, resulting to another worthless, unproductive day.
A day without a ray of light is fine, and you won’t die that’s for sure. But staying holed up in your apartment for longer periods actually has consequences – bad ones.
You don’t want that, do you?
Why you need the sun
The great outdoors is far too majestic for one to miss out on, and more importantly, daylight is important for one’s health. Topping the list on why you need the sun is the need for vitamin D. Sunlight doesn't actually contain vitamin D, but rather it causes a reaction with cholesterol stored in your skin that ultimately results in 'activated' vitamin D called 'Calcitriol'. This is a very important part of our diet because it helps us to absorb and use calcium, which in turn is used to strengthen and grow our bones.
While there are certain food groups with vitamin D in them, it’s fairly impossible to get the same amount compared to what the sun supplements, or at least how it’s synthesized by the sun.
Without this important vitamin, your bones will eventually start to get brittle, resulting in osteoporosis. This effect’s bad enough, but what it does to your appearance isn’t any better. Sure there are people who like looking like Wednesday Addams or her equally pale mom Morticia – but this won’t do you good (except if you’re naturally pale).
Vitamin D and breast cancer
A published study authored by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine shows a strong correlation between the growth of breast tumors in mice and a lack of Vitamin D. The finding builds upon several previous studies suggesting that low levels of vitamin D not only increase a person’s risk of developing Breast Cancer, but are also correlated with more-aggressive tumors and worse prognoses.
In one of their studies, the researchers found that mice given a diet deficient in vitamin D developed sizable tumors an average of seven days earlier than the other mice, and after six weeks, the tumors grew to a significantly larger size in comparison to the mice who had sufficient Vitamin D levels.
Some will definitely argue what’s done on mice will not hold true with humans, but the findings suggest that vitamin D could ward off dangerous illnesses and even extend life.
And one more thing: sunshine boosts levels of serotonin - the body's natural happy hormone. That's why we tend to feel happier and more energetic when the sun shines. So go out there and get a “sensible” amount of light in your life. You’ll need that.
