10 REASONS SUMMER ROCKS
Most of us feel happier in the summer, but did you know the sun could also boost heart-health and lower cancer risk?
1 IT PROTECTS AGAINST DEMENTIA
Sunlight stimulates vitamin D production in our bodies which, say scientists, helps to keep Alzheimer’s disease and dementia at bay. In fact, University of Exeter Medical School found that over-65s who were moderately deficient in vitamin D had a 53% increased risk of developing dementia, while those who were severelyy deficient had a 125% increased risk.
2 IT HELPS PREVENT CANCER
A recent study found those with high levels of vitamin D had a 20 per cent lower chance of cancer. Researchers tracked 34,000 men and women for an average of 16 years, dividing them into four groups, depending on their vitamin D levels. Across all the cancers examined, the difference between the highest and lowest groups was 20 per cent.
3 YOU’LL HAVE A LONGER LIFE
Swedish researchers who tracked 30,000 women over a 20-year period found that those who actively spent the most time in the sun enjoyed a longer life expectancy than their shade-loving counterparts. Increased sun exposure was associated with a decrease in deaths from heart disease and cancer.
4 IIT RREDUCESD DEPRESSION D I
We really do feel happier when the sun’s shining, say experts. Sunlight produces a chemical reaction, limiting melatonin production making us more awake and increasing serotonin release, which is connected to feelings of wellbeing. Secondly, we’re more likely to get out and do activities we enjoy with people we like so we associate sunshine with feeling happy. The biology/psychology combo puts a smile on your face whenever the sun comes out.
5 YOU’RE MORE LIKELY TO BE ACTIVE
Longer evenings and balmy weather means you’re more likely to get out and about. “Research shows that exercising outside can burn up to 30 per cent more calories than doing the same workout indoors,” explains Janey Holliday of outdoor fitness company WWW.FITFORAPRINCESS.CO.UK.
6 IT BOOSTS IMMUNITY
Because vitamin D is important for the body’s immunity, the sun’s rays could also reduce your incidence of colds and flu. Scientists at the University of Copenhagen have discovered that without sufficient intake of vitamin D the killer T cells of the immune system aren’t able to react to, and fight off, serious infections in the body. Inadequate levels of vitamin D have been associated with an increased rate of infection, cancer, and mortality rate after surgery.
7 YOU’LL HAVE STRONGER BONES
Vitamin D – alongside other nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorous and vitamin K – is also vital for our bones. It works in synergy with calcium helping to preserve and maintain the health of our bones and skeleton.
8 IT’S GOOD FOR YOUR TEETH
You’re less likely to have gum disease in summer than winter. Researchers at Boston University, US, studied 7,000 people – those with the highest amount of vitamin D in their blood had the t lowest amount of o inflammation, which w they believe is due d to that magic vitamin’s v antiinflammatory effects.
9 IT RELIEVES ACHES AND PAINS
Being out in the sun helps to warm the body’s muscles and eases stiffness, reducing the pain caused by inflammatory conditions such as arthritis. In a US study from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre, doctors found patients who recovered from surgery in sunny rooms took significantly less painkillers than those in darker ones. It’s thought sunlight improved mood and lessened the pain.
10 IT’S EASIER TO LOSE WEIGHT
Sunlight helps your body to produce serotonin which can act as a natural appetite suppressant for some people. Many people tend to eat less in hot weather because we opt for lighter dishes, such as salads, rather than stodgy winter warmers.