RAY OF THINKING
Some lunchtime sun can halve your risk of early mental decline. Pass the SPF, please
At this time of year, you may observe an increase in our championing of a certain scintillating vitamin. With benefits pertaining to everything from fat loss to cancer prevention, vitamin D enjoys its fair share of time in the sun. But should you require any extra encouragement to stray from the shade this summer, the bright sparks at Chongqing Medical University in China have uncovered further research currently burning up the health newswires.
In a study of 400 volunteers, half of whom were recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s, neurologists noted significantly lower levels of the vitamin in the blood of those afflicted when measured against a comparatively healthy control group.
Further study showed that those who spent in excess of 14 hours a week exposed to sunlight – just two hours a day – were only half as likely to develop the condition as those who spent seven hours or less outdoors.
Though you can find vit D in food, as much as 80% of our levels are dictated by sun exposure, making a lunchtime park workout during the warmer months all the more worthwhile if you’re keen to stave off neurological decline in the long-run. Not our most instantly gratifying of offers? Your healthy glow suggests otherwise.