What are the negative effects of lack of sunlight? The effect of lack of sunlight on the human body

It just so happened historically that some people have to live where there is so little sun that it affects their health. Especially if nothing is done about it.

The most cloudy cities in Russia

In some cities of the Fatherland, the international sun delivers less light due to cloudy weather.

Number of cloudy days per year in some Russian cities:

Yakutsk - 223 days
Murmansk - 209 days
Yuzhno-Kurilsk - 194 days
Nizhny Novgorod - 182 days
St. Petersburg - 180 days
Moscow - 172 days
Ufa, Perm, Novosibirsk, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky - about 168 days
Kazan and Khatanga - 157 days
Kaliningrad and Saratov - about 140 days
Rostov-on-Don - 126 days.

Data: Russian State Hydrometeorological University / ngzt.ru

And here, by the way, on the contrary, are the sunniest cities in Russia, whose inhabitants, perhaps, may not read the article further from this place: Troitsk, Omsk, Khabarovsk, Vladivostok, Irkutsk, Krasnodar.

However, the closer to December 22 (the shortest day), the less sun becomes in the entire Northern Hemisphere, which sometimes entails serious consequences for good health.

The reason for seasonal changes in mood and well-being is a change in hormone production, directly related to the degree of illumination.

Sun deficiency affects: cardiovascular system, endocrine system, reproductive sphere, immune system, nervous system, mood and biorhythms, for renewal of skin, hair and nails. In addition, with a deficiency of the sun, the production of vitamin D, one of the most important in the body, is disrupted.

Vitamin D deficiency

Vitamin D is largely synthesized by our body under the influence of direct sunlight (ultraviolet). Accordingly, the closer December 22 (or if you suddenly moved from Krasnodar to St. Petersburg), the less vitamin D ends up in your body.

A lack of this important vitamin can have serious consequences.

Increased risk of cancer . In 1980, Cedric Garland and Frank Garland published their findings in the International Journal of Epidemiology.A sufficient amount of vitamin D in the body significantly reduces the risk of colon cancer.. The assumption that sunlight can protect against cancer was first formulated in 1937 by Sigismund Peller and Charles Stephenson. Then, in 1941, they found that cancer mortality depends on the latitude of residence: the closer to the equator (the more sun), the less people dies of colon cancer.

Later, information appeared about the importance of vitamin D in the fight against other types of cancer. The numbers published in the review "Vitamin D for Cancer Prevention: A Global Perspective" by Garlands et al. are impressive. People who spent enough time in the sun or took calcium and vitamin D by mouth (1,100 IU of vitamin D and 1,450 mg/day of calcium) had a 50% or more reduced risk of prostate, breast, or colon cancer.

About a dozen mechanisms have been proposed for the work of vitamin D on immunity: the "sunshine vitamin" regulates growth, cell differentiation and apoptosis, inhibits the growth of blood vessels, has an anti-inflammatory effect, and some others.

Vitamin D deficiency and seasonal weight gain

Vitamin D deficiency is also suspected by scientists to be one of the reasons for weight gain (more precisely: one of the reasons for too many calories).

Vitamin D is essential for the production of leptin - special hormone, which is responsible for the feeling of fullness while eating. If it becomes smaller, it is more difficult to satisfy hunger, regular servings seem small, a person begins to consume more calories and inevitably gain weight.

Scientists from Sweden conducted an experiment: they examined more than 100 fat people, 70% of which had a lack of vitamin D in the body. All participants in the study were prescribed it in the form of supplements, and after 2 months most of them began to lose weight - despite the fact that no one limited them in food.

How much vitamin D do you need and how to get it

In principle, a person who eats a varied diet regularly and for a long time outdoors, should not be deficient in vitamin D. But that's the problem, that modern look life involves enclosed spaces and monotonous quick meals.

To get 400 IU of the vitamin, you need to eat 150 g of salmon or 900 g of cod daily.

However, we rarely eat oily fish every day and therefore without the sun can not do in any way. And the further north you live, the more important it is for you to eat oily fish, eggs, liver and catch the available sun rays.

Sunbathing is needed at the same time quite long. Here is one recommendation: 30 minutes in the sun every day. If you are sunbathing at a latitude corresponding to Spain or California, then 12 minutes sunbathing per day with 50% of the body open will give you 3000 IU per day.

Can a solarium help?

Yes, but not any. Many lamps give a different UV spectrum, not the same as that of the sun - ultraviolet with a wavelength of A (320-400 nm) makes a softer effect on the skin, gives a tan, but poorly corresponds to solar radiation. But the wavelength B (280-320 nm) is more in line with what is necessary for the production of vitamin D.

The proportion of emission of spectrum B waves by lamps is indicated in the characteristics of solarium lamps.
For example, the designation: UVB 1% means that of the total radiation of the lamp in the UV range, 1% is UVB. This value in different types lamps varies from 0.1% to 6%. Lamps with more than 4% UV-B radiation are used only in the USA and are not available for Europe.

Therefore, solariums are different for solariums and the amount of vitamin D obtained from a session depends on the characteristics of the lamps and does not directly correspond to the degree of tanning obtained.

In addition to tanning beds and oily fish, you can replenish some forms of vitamin D in the body with food additives, for example, in the edition of Zozhnik, it is regularly used in autumn-winter period here is a bank:

Serotonin deficiency due to lack of sun

However, the lack of vitamin D is not the only disadvantage caused by the decrease in light in life.

The lack of light is associated with a depressed state of the psyche, with a tendency to depression. When light hits the retina, it sends to the brain nerve impulse: it's time to produce serotonin. This "hormone of happiness" has a calming effect, relieves nervous tension, relaxes and gives a feeling of pleasure.

You can stimulate the production of serotonin by eating turkey, bananas or chocolate.. These products contain the amino acid tryptophan, from which the hormone of happiness is produced. But in any case, the lack of light contributes to a serious decrease in serotonin levels.

In Moscow, the duration of the sunshine on an average December day is no more than 2 hours. In the room in the autumn-winter period, the light is 300 times less than outside on a bright sunny day.

Actually, the most effective method fight for serotonin - more light. In the Nordic countries (and in the days of the USSR for the inhabitants of the north), the use of special lamps is strongly recommended to make up for the lack of light in autumn and winter.

Light therapy is considered natural method getting rid of depression, with which you can significantly improve the condition. Moreover, for the inhabitants of the north back in the days of the USSR, health prevention with the help of light therapy was mandatory. And there are even special lamps for this:

The illumination of light therapy lamps is between 2,500 and 10,000 lux, which equates to solar lighting on a summer day. For therapeutic effect 2 weeks are enough, and the result of the session is felt after a few days of treatment.

The lamps can be used even during work, setting them at the right distance from the computer screen (during a treatment session, the lamps are usually placed at a distance of 30-40 cm from the patient). For the success of the treatment, it is recommended to conduct sessions in the morning in order to “recharge” with energy for the whole day.

However, you can do without a special lamp - just walk more on the street, even on a cloudy day, and less close from the light behind sunglasses.

Trouble falling asleep due to lack of sun

Another unexpected problem that many people face. Normally, in the evening, the body begins to produce the hormone melatonin, when its concentration increases, we feel a desire to go to bed. If it is not enough, we remain active and cannot fall asleep.

The mechanism of melatonin reduction in winter: its production requires not only darkness (before going to bed), but also light. The fact is that for the production of this hormone, the same serotonin is needed, for which light is needed.

All recipes for lack of sun

So, here is a list of "recipes" from the lack of sun in our body. And the more north and darker the situation outside your window, the more important it is for you not to ignore these tips.

1. Eat more products rich in vitamin D and promote the production of serotonin(and above all oily fish: salmon). AT last resort: use vitamin D supplements. Also click on foods that promote the production of serotonin: bananas, chocolate, turkey, apples, plums, pineapple.

2. Walk more and more often, exposing the sun to as much bare skin as possible.. But even in cloudy weather it is useful to walk: the illumination is much higher than in indoors and have a positive effect on you.

3. Go to the solarium, or better yet, fly to the sea for a couple of weeks in December-January. If not possible, just click on the items above.

4. Buy a light therapy lamp(but a ticket to the sea is still better).

5. Workout. Power training also increase the much-needed dark time year serotonin levels.

Hello dear readers! Sunlight - what does it mean for a person. Scientists call it the beginning of life. More than a century ago, the first studies of sunlight were carried out.

From the article you will find out who or what is able to absorb solar energy. Due to what our internal organs saturate with it. What are the rays of the sun capable of? What diseases can be treated by sunlight.

Why walks in sunlight are beneficial and for how long. What vitamin can be produced in our body thanks to this gift of God. Skin and sunlight, his and her actions.

sunlight

Sunlight, and light in general, is the beginning of life. Chlorophyll, which is the green pigment in plant leaves, absorbs solar energy. It accumulates in the form of glucose.

Sunlight creates oxygen and carbon dioxide. It is the source that nourishes our body and supplies it with vital energy. The rays of the sun kill microorganisms and prevent the growth of mold and fungus.

The fact that sunlight kills microbes was discovered back in 1877 by scientists Downes and Blunt. They discovered this by accident when they saw that bacteria that were in the shade continued to multiply, while those that were exposed to the rays of sunlight stopped growing.

Treatment sunlight helps to get rid of most infectious diseases. It also helps in the treatment of pneumonia, tonsillitis, fever, etc. Sunlight is able to produce vitamin D in our body through exposure to the skin.

Sunlight energy

What is the power of sunlight. Is it good for our health? Scientists have come to a very important conclusion regarding the energy of sunlight. It is directly related to the improvement of human health.

How the energy of sunlight helps our health:

stimulating the activity of the immune system increases immunity
Helps with a variety of skin conditions
excellent disinfectant is sunlight
after pneumonia, tuberculosis and bronchitis, the sun's rays acting on the back or chest help restore

respiratory system

cleans the blood and fills it with oxygen the sun
moderate exposure to the sun can help treat arthritis

Walking in the sunshine

Scientists from Oxford say that the benefits of sunlight for our health exceed harmful effect. Walking in sunlight regulates sleep, improves mood, and boosts productivity.

People involved in mental labor, Neuroscientist R. Foster recommends posting your workplace by the window, especially on a bright sunny day. This will double the attention of the person.

Artificial light does not create such positive effect. Our scientists also suggest making the most of daylight hours and taking walks in the sunlight more often.

Sunshine deficiency

How to make up for the lack of sunlight:

Council number 1. Walk more during daylight hours. It is enough to expose your face and hands to sunlight twice a week for ten to fifteen minutes to gain a “solar” norm for the necessary normal existence.

Council number 2. Keep window panes clean and remove tall flowers from window sills. So you let in and make up for the lack of sunlight in your home.

Council number 3. There should be an adequate supply of vitamin D in the body. Your body will get this vitamin through food. Chief Assistant this is fatty fish. There is a lot of vitamin D in Salmon and Omega-3 which are rich in fatty acids. They support heart health and suppress inflammation. In order for vitamin D to be absorbed, do not allow a deficiency of sunlight. Be sure to walk around to get used to it.

Lack of sunlight

What is the effect of lack of sunlight?

on the mood
for hair growth and skin regeneration
for performance
on the immune system
hormonal balance
to the cardiovascular system

What will help to neutralize Negative consequences:

good sleep
Walking in the sunshine
sports
food in which there should be fish, fruits and dark chocolate

With a lack of sunlight, not only people suffer, but all living things. There is light starvation. When this happens in the winter itchy and flaky skin. It also appears most often in winter. large quantity holes in the teeth.

What is dangerous lack of sunlight

Can save a life walking in the fresh air in sunlight. Scientists have found that lack of sunlight can lead to pancreatic cancer.

People who live in places with frequent heavy cloudiness suffer from a lack of vitamin D in the body. The lack of ultraviolet radiation is very dangerous for people who have pancreatic cancer.

If you increase your vitamin D intake, you will not only effective prevention, but you may also therapeutic actions. What is dangerous lack of sunlight for people suffering from heart disease.

One in ten people risk their lives because lack of sunlight increases the risk of cancer and heart disease.

To ensure that you have enough vitamin D in your body at any time of the year, eat oily fish and dairy products at least two or three times a week. Why Dairy Products? They have a lot of calcium, and calcium, like active movement help the body absorb vitamin D.

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Be healthy and happy.

Video about the benefits and harms of sunlight

Each person probably noted that depending on the weather, his mood also changes. For example, in rainy weather, thoughts come more melancholy, but it is very difficult to be sad in the bright sun. The influence of the sun on human mood was noticed hundreds of years ago, but in our time it is explained with scientific point vision.

It should be noted that the strong influence of sunlight on emotional condition typical only for a temperate (and further to the poles) climate. At the same time, the inhabitants of the countries of the "eternal sun", i.e. the tropics and the equator do not experience such an influence. This is due to the fact that the equatorial zone of our planet and the territories adjacent to it receive approximately the same amount of sunlight throughout the year. But as you get farther to the poles, the amount of light received (due to the tilt of the earth's axis) varies greatly depending on the time of year.

Why does a person need sunlight?

Solar energy performs two main tasks on our planet: it provides heat and stimulates biosynthesis. From school curriculum everyone knows such a process as photosynthesis, during the light phase (i.e. under the action of sunlight) which is absorbed by plants carbon dioxide and release of oxygen.

However, in addition to such a global influence on the entire planet, the sun also affects every individual organism. So the lack of sunlight causes a lot of disorders in a person: the absorption of calcium decreases, the condition of the skin, hair and nails worsens, total fall immunity, low mood and even depression are registered.

The connection between sunlight and vitamin D

Many underestimate the importance of vitamin D, but it is he who contributes to the synthesis of the enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase, which in turn is necessary for the production of the "hormone of happiness" dopamine, adrenaline and norepinephrine. With a lack of these hormones, the overall Vital energy organism, and in humans, respectively, the mood drops. Women are especially affected, whose vital activity is much more dependent on hormonal balance.

It is also known that only 15-20 minutes of being under bright sun it is enough for the body to produce a daily amount of vitamin D under the action of ultraviolet radiation. However, from September to March in our latitudes there is a lack of sunlight, and therefore the concept of “ autumn blues and "seasonal depression" became commonplace.

lack of sun and depression

This is not to say that depression is specifically caused by a lack of sunlight. depressive state develops against the background of a prolonged psycho-traumatic situation, however, due to the lack of sun, a person’s resistant functions decrease (both immune and nervous system), why a man more difficult to cope with emotional stress.

A depressed person becomes lethargic, apathetic, his mood is constantly lowered, former hobbies are no longer encouraging. Often this condition is accompanied by sleep and appetite disorders, and can further somatize, that is, develop into a full-fledged somatic disease. Therefore, if for a month or more you notice a constantly lowered mood and an apathetic state in yourself or a loved one, you should seek the advice of a neurologist.

Of course, providing enough sunlight will not cure depression, however, heliotherapy will still have some effect. However, in order to get rid of the disease completely, it is necessary to undergo treatment with a neurologist and / or a psychotherapist.

Treatment of depression in the clinic of neurology Aksimed

Treatment of depression is carried out by the following specialists: neurologist, psychotherapist, psychiatrist, psychologist. Of course, it is almost impossible (and sometimes very harmful) to self-diagnose oneself, therefore, with any more or less prolonged changes in mood, sensations, sleep and wakefulness disturbances without visible reasons etc., you need to contact a specialist.

Clinic "Aksimed" specializes in the treatment of a wide variety of neurological diseases and trauma to the nervous system. After a detailed and comprehensive diagnosis, qualified neurologists will be able to deliver accurate diagnosis and prescribe treatment.

Treatment for depression is based on integrated approach which includes - psychotherapy, drug treatment, physiotherapy and physiotherapy exercises. An experienced psychotherapist at the Aksimed clinic will help the patient determine the cause of given state and find ways to deal with the situation.

If the symptoms of depression are very pronounced and interfere with normal life, a neurologist may prescribe medication support (antidepressants, sedatives, vitamin therapy), as well as elements of physiotherapy (massage, acupuncture). And of course, healthy lifestyle life and proper nutrition, walking on fresh air and sunbathing contribute to prevention and more quick release from depression.

All living things on Earth, including humans, are constantly under the influence of our heavenly body - the Sun. And, despite all the benefits of civilization we have achieved, first of all, electricity, we still get up and fall asleep according to the Sun. Our rays also depend on it. general well-being and just a state of mind.

This is most noticeable in those periods when, for the sake of economic gain, we are forced to move the clock forward or backward an hour. or in winter time of the year. Many of us immediately feel the consequences of such changes.

How does sunlight affect human health?

The most valuable thing that gives sunlight to a person is ultraviolet. It makes our immune system work - but, just in the autumn-winter period, many begin to get sick when there is little light. During these same dark seasons of the year, many people gain excess weight, since the lack of ultraviolet radiation negatively affects our metabolism. In winter, people are more sleepy and indifferent, and in summer, on the contrary. Because bright sunlight increases efficiency, and its lack lowers it.
Surely, many had to feel bad in autumn and winter just because at this time there is also a lack of sun. And this is not surprising. The fact is that in sunlight, the human body produces the hormone serotonin, and its second name is the activity hormone. It is produced during daylight hours and is regulated by the intensity of the light. This hormone regulates our sleep and keeps us alert. Therefore, many experts suggest that the causes of most depressions are not personal problems of a person, but a simple lack of sunlight.

Lack of ultraviolet radiation also affects our skin. For example, in winter, with low light, the skin begins to itch and peel off. This happens due to a violation or cessation of the formation of vitamin D in the body.

How to make up for the lack of sunlight for a person?

Tip #1

Walk more. But remember: only walks during daylight hours will benefit. To gain the “solar” norm necessary for a normal existence, it is enough to expose your face and hands to the sun for 10-15 minutes a couple of times a week. By the way, it is useless to sunbathe in a solarium in order to replenish the reserves of ultraviolet radiation. The artificial sun cannot replace the real one.

Tip #2

Let the light into your home. Wash the windows (dirty ones block up to 30% of the light) and remove tall flowers from the windowsill (they take 50% of the sun's rays).

Tip #3

Vitamin D stores can be replenished with food. The main assistant is fatty fish. The largest number(about 360 units per 100 g) of vitamin D is found in salmon. It is also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which also help support heart health and suppress different kind inflammation. But even absorbing loading doses vitamin D, you need to walk - in order for it to be absorbed.

Tip #4

The activity hormone - serotonin - can also be obtained from foods. It is found in dark chocolate, pineapples, bananas, apples and plums.

Tip #5

It is useless to fight drowsiness - it is better to surrender to it. The peak of drowsiness is from 13:00 to 17:00. At this time, it is better to take a nap in a chair for 15-20 minutes, and then wake up cheerful and healthy. A short rest perfectly restores working capacity. Plus, every hour you should be distracted from work and rest for 5 minutes.

Tip #6

You can enhance the synthesis of hormones with the help of physical activity - during training, their increased production occurs. Half hour intensive exercise stress increases the concentration of "happiness hormones" by 5-7 times. By the way, in the gym you can solve another winter problem- loss of strength. There is evidence that one of the reasons for this phenomenon is a lack of movement.

Lack of sunlight adversely affects:

* skin regeneration, hair growth

* mood

* immune system

* performance

* cardiovascular system

* hormonal status

To neutralize the negative consequences will help:

* walks

* sports training

* full sleep

* meals including fish, fruit and dark chocolate

6 678

Do you feel more tired in autumn? Do you have (even more) difficulty getting up in the morning? Are you depressed, do you often catch a cold? When the seasons change, many of us complain about poor health. Often this condition is explained by ... a lack of sunlight. We suffer not only from an excess of sunlight, but also from a lack of it. Why?

The sun regulates the biochemical processes in the body. The sun is not active enough in autumn, and without ultraviolet radiation the reaction leading to the synthesis of vitamin D is impossible. This vitamin affects the immune system and mood. In addition, vitamin D improves the body's susceptibility to magnesium, the lack of which leads to deterioration physical condition, insomnia and increased anxiety. People who complain of fatigue and autumn depression most often actually suffer from a lack of vitamin D.

What to do? Vitamin D levels can be partially replenished with animal products. “Vitamin D refers to vitamins that can be both synthesized in our body and stored from outside. In any case, even if we actively spent the summer in the sun, the reserves may only last until the middle of winter. Therefore, vitamin D must come from food, explains Sergey Sergeev, nutritionist, member of the Russian Society of Medical Elementology. - Its main source is fatty varieties fish, to be exact. fish fat, Cod liver. Also sources of this vitamin are meat, egg yolk, milk. Natalya Fadeeva, endocrinologist-nutritionist, doctor at the MEDEP Family Dietetics Center, also advises including daily diet dishes from sea fish with vegetables, as well as products containing a large number of calcium: sesame, cheese, cottage cheese, dairy products.