Benefits and effects for the heart if you lack sunlight

Preventing heart disease (cardiovascular) can be done in various ways. Starting from eating foods that are healthy for the heart, regular exercise, to unexpected ways, namely basking in the sun. In fact, what are the benefits of sunlight for the heart? If you are under-exposed to sunlight, what effect will it have on your heart?

Benefits of sunshine for the heart

Your body cannot produce vitamin D naturally. However, you can get them from food.

Unfortunately, relying on food alone to meet daily vitamin D needs is not enough. Therefore, you need another source of vitamin D, namely from sunlight.

When you are outdoors, sunlight hits the outer layer of skin (epidermis). The cells around the epidermis contain a pigment or dye called melanin. Melanin is what helps the body produce vitamin D from sun exposure.

Vitamin D is later used by the body to absorb calcium and phosphate to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy. In addition, vitamin D from food and sunlight also provides benefits for maintaining heart health.

A 2013 study in the journal Current Treatment Options in Cardiovascular Medicine explain the potential for vitamin D from food and sunlight to protect the heart, including:

1. Reducing inflammation

Inflammation of the blood vessels is one of the causes of heart disease. The inflammation is triggered by high cholesterol levels which then forms plaque and irritates blood vessels.

Without treatment, inflammation can lead to common types of heart disease, such as atherosclerosis. A person with this condition usually experiences symptoms of heart disease such as shortness of breath accompanied by chest pain.

Not atherosclerosis, inflammation in the blood vessels also increases the risk of heart attack or stroke.

The presence of vitamin D, T cells (white blood cells that function as the immune system) can suppress the inflammatory response so that the condition does not get worse.

2. Preventing an increase in blood pressure

Rat-based research shows the benefits of vitamin D from food and sunlight for the heart, namely preventing a rise in blood pressure.

Vitamin D can inhibit the production of renin, which is a special enzyme produced by the kidneys to increase blood pressure. When renin production is inhibited, blood pressure will not jump up.

You need to know that uncontrolled high blood pressure (hypertension) is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. This condition can reduce the flexibility of arterial blood vessels in the heart.

The benefits of vitamin D from sunlight and food for the heart have indeed been observed through this study. However, it still needs further research on its effects in humans.

The effect of lack of sunlight on the heart

Lack of sun exposure generally causes health problems, such as osteoporosis and nervous system disorders. On the heart, the effect is likely to increase a person's risk of heart disease because vitamin D is not fulfilled properly.

The adverse effects of lack of sun exposure can reduce heart health in a number of ways.

According to the website of The Royal Women's Hospital, sunlight plays a role in regulating the hormone melatonin. This hormone functions to regulate the body's biological clock, which regulates waking and sleeping hours. If you are rarely exposed to the sun, sleeping time can be messy.

This poor sleep pattern can make your mood unstable. You become more irritable, anxious, and even stressed. This condition can affect your food habits, such as snacking sugary foods that trigger weight gain.

Well, messy sleep patterns, stress, and uncontrolled weight can reduce heart health. If not treated, the risk of various types of heart disease will increase over time. In fact, it also increases the risk of other chronic diseases, such as diabetes.

Maximize the benefits of sunlight for the heart

You can get the benefits of sunlight for the heart in an easy way, namely sunbathing. However, you are not recommended to sunbathe during the day.

Not that it is a benefit, sunbathing at the wrong time can make your skin darken, even burn. The best time to bask is before 10 a.m., for 15 to 20 minutes every day.

This benefit also cannot be obtained if you are sunbathing by the window without leaving the house. Even if the rays hit your skin, UVB rays (which are needed to produce vitamin D) cannot penetrate window glass. So, you can only get the benefits of sunlight for the heart if you sunbathe directly.

The next tip that you need to pay attention to when sunbathing is to use a sunscreen that at least comes with SPF-15. This cream is useful for preventing exposure to radiation from sunlight which damages skin cells.

Then, you can also increase your vitamin D intake from food. Examples of vitamin D-rich foods you can choose from include tuna, salmon, egg yolks, beef liver, and yogurt and milk fortified with vitamin D.

If you are taking medications, such as laxatives, anti-seizure drugs, and cholesterol medications, the absorption of vitamin D from food may be impaired. Therefore, it is highly recommended to meet the intake of vitamin D from exposure to direct sunlight.

The use of vitamin D supplements does not provide maximum benefits for protecting heart health from various problems. It's an important consideration that getting vitamin D directly from the sun is much better than taking supplements.

Moreover, supplements can also cause annoying side effects in certain people.