Looking for a potion that will help you live longer? You may have a solution right under your nose. Well, right outside the front door.
By moving in the fresh air, you will be able to live longer, as it will have a beneficial effect on your body and spirit. But a lot depends on how much sunlight you need per day.
Today's indoor lifestyle prevents us from living life to the fullest. Literally. A 2020 study published in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH), showed that as many as 340,000 premature deaths in the US could be attributed to insufficient exposure to the sun and fresh air. A lack of sunlight would also play a role in increased rates of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and cognitive impairment. This same research also found a link between centenarians and spending time outdoors.
A 2022 study even found that most centenarians share the same hobby: daily gardening. Another study followed 30,000 women for 20 years and found that those who actively exposed themselves to the sun had a much lower risk of cancer and heart disease—and that avoiding the sun was a risk factor for premature death. But even excessive exposure to the sun can be harmful, with inadequate protection.
So how much sunlight do you need per day?
The sun's rays affect the formation of vitamin D in our body. The need for vitamin D can be met between May and October with just 15 minutes of exposure to sunlight. In the winter months, however, there is often a lack of vitamin D, which is produced in the skin under the influence of UV rays of the B spectrum.
In autumn and winter, we are not exposed to enough sunlight, which is why people often suffer from deficiency. In this case, we cannot meet the needs for vitamin D with food, we also resort to foods that are rich in it; these are fatty fish (cod, mackerel, tuna, salmon), eggs and dairy products. Therefore, in this case, it makes sense to add it through food supplements. However, it is still important to spend some time daily in the fresh air. First, spending time outdoors reduces stress and helps lower cortisol (our stress hormone) and improves working memory, mood, and anxiety levels.
