Let's try to figure it out. Under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, the body produces serotonin and endorphins - the main "hormones of happiness". These substances have a positive effect on the processes of blood clotting, allergic reactions. If the hormones are at the level, consider that you are guaranteed a passionate personal life, cheerfulness and good mood.

Tatyana Lurie
Cosmetologist of the Beauty and Health Center "White Garden"

To compensate for the lack of serotonin, many begin to seize grief sweet: carbohydrate-rich food activates the release of insulin, which stimulates an increase in the level of tryptophan in the blood. What does the new characters have to do with it, you ask? Tryptophan is the amino acid from which serotonin is synthesized.. But it is difficult to call such a solution ideal: weight gain usually upsets modern citizens, and the circle closes.

But that's not all. As we know from the biology course, when the sun goes down the human body begins to experience a lack of vitamin D(calciferol). The latter helps to strengthen the immune system, the skeletal system and tissues, helps to remove heavy metals from the body, and makes it possible to assimilate other vitamins and minerals.

Under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, metabolism is activated, the functioning of the circulatory system improves. The sun's rays affect the centers of the brain that control the reproductive and endocrine systems. The biologically inert nitrite NO3 is also released in the body and converted into nitrate and nitric oxide, which reduce blood pressure and reduce the likelihood of heart attacks and strokes.

The sun has an antibacterial effect, the number of acne, rashes decreases, wounds and cuts heal faster. Sunbathing is one of the best remedies for the treatment of rickets, osteomalacia, psoriasis, and is useful even for coronary heart disease.

In general, after all that has been said, it becomes clear why we flutter so carelessly and feel good on fine days. It's a pity that in the cool season, when the sun's rays are moderately intense and ready to bring only one benefit, there are beautiful clouds and freezing rain outside the window.

What to do?

1. First, see a therapist. The doctor will assess your health and help you choose vitamin D supplement.
2. Try to highlight several hours a week for fitness(best outside). Long walks accompanied by invigorating blood music are also suitable. Physical activity combined with fresh air is what you need to release endorphins and serotonin. It's ideal to complement sports activities with activity in the bedroom, but for this you have to wake up one more person from hibernation.
3. Sign up for a session at a beauty salon (or better, a course - consult a beautician about the duration) led therapy. Imagine: you are lying with a special mask on your face, and it glows either red or blue. These magical LEDs affect microcirculation and metabolic processes in the skin. This normalizes the work of the sebaceous glands, improves turgor, and wrinkles are leveled.

Grossly disproportionate fears of skin cancer and a predominantly sedentary lifestyle within four walls mean that most healthy, well-nourished people don't get enough sunlight. Unfortunately, the modern urban population spends a lot of time, including leisure, within four walls, and this leads to an increase in vitamin D deficiency. The problem is especially acute in the high southern and northern latitudes, where the sun in the sky is always perceived as a gift. But even in sunny Australia, many people experience a lack of sunlight, which does not allow the skin to produce sufficient amounts of vitamin B.

That we need sunlight is an indisputable fact. Most vitamin E - 75 to 90% - is produced by skin exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. Just 15 minutes a few times a week can kick-start the synthesis of vitamin D, a compound that is more like a hormone than a vitamin. Without sufficient exposure to sunlight, there is a risk of vitamin D deficiency, which can lead to rickets, osteomalacia (softening of the bones) and osteoporosis (bone loss).

Importance of Vitamin D

Recent studies have confirmed that vitamin D and sunlight are important for more than just bone health. They appear to play a role in the early stages of schizophrenia (due to the impact of low intrauterine vitamin D levels on the developing brain). Many body tissues have vitamin D receptors. The active form of vitamin D (cholecalciferol) also seems to play an important protective role against the inception, development and spread of various types of tumors.

Specifically, vitamin D deficiency can trigger the development of prostate, breast and colon cancer, as well as a number of other immune disorders such as type diabetes mellitus and multiple sclerosis.

The predominance of childhood type diabetes mellitus increases with increasing geographic latitude and decreases with sufficient intake of vitamin D in childhood. Also, with increasing latitude, there is a gradual increase in the frequency of multiple sclerosis. This is true for both high northern latitudes and high southern latitudes. For example, in Australia, the correlation between the average annual level of ultraviolet radiation and the frequency of multiple sclerosis is stronger than in the case of malignant melanoma. A large body of evidence confirms that UV stimulates the production of vitamin D, which is thought to protect against multiple sclerosis. Other explanations boil down to the idea that ultraviolet radiation affects certain parts immune system by suppressing autoimmune activity.

Sun and skin cancer

Of course, it is very easy to deduce a direct link between solar ultraviolet radiation and skin cancer. Less obvious (so almost ignored) is that the sun prevents other types of cancer. According to a recent review, intelligent exposure to sunlight is highly likely to prevent death from various cancers - from cancer reproductive system to digestive.

The use of sunscreens greatly reduces the production of vitamin E3 by the skin. Because of this, Dr. Gordon Einsleich of California believes that the use of protective creams actually causes cancer rather than prevents it. His work shows that the 17% increase in the incidence of breast cancer observed in the United States in 1991-1992 may be the result of the widespread practice of using sunscreens over the past decade.

Approximately 10,000 people a year die from skin cancer in the United States. However, some studies show that every year the number of premature deaths from cancers associated with too limited exposure to sunlight (breast, prostate and colon cancer) is more than double this figure or even more.

One study found that 21,700 people a year die from insufficient exposure to ultraviolet B rays. Dr. Einsleich believes that the real numbers are even higher than the assumption that in the United States, about 30,000 cancer deaths per year could be avoided if people introduced regular, moderate exposure to sunlight into their lifestyle.

Everything needs a measure

The problem will be solved by our adoption of the concept of the relative degree of risk of disease. What most people fail to realize is how wide of a gap there is between reasonable exposure to sunlight for health reasons and doses that cause skin cancer or eye damage. For example, people with relatively fair complexion living in Boston need to expose only 6-10% of the body surface (face, arms, hands) to the sun in spring, summer and autumn on sunny noon for 5 minutes to maintain sufficient levels of vitamin E. or three times a week. And for some people living in the more temperate zones of Western Australia, 14 hours of sun exposure each week may be enough to develop basal cell carcinoma (this form of skin cancer has a higher death rate than all others).

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 general well-being and simply the state of the soul depend on its rays.

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 during the winter season. 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. In the same dark seasons of the year, many people gain weight, because 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 the fall 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 hormone of activity. 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.

In winter, more than ever, holes in the teeth begin to form.
There is even an opinion that the lack of sunlight has a bad effect on human vision.

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 amount (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 reduce inflammation. But, even absorbing shock doses of 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 an hour of intense physical activity increases the concentration of "happiness hormones" by 5-7 times. By the way, in the gym you can solve another winter problem - a breakdown. 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

Effect of lack of sun on the body. Sunbathing may prevent obesity The value and benefits of sunlight, its effect on the human body cannot be compared with anything! It is only through sunlight that we can properly use our eyes. Thanks to the rays of the sun, vitamin D is synthesized in our body, which, in turn, affects the absorption of calcium and phosphorus. Sunlight also affects our mood, lack of sunlight can lead to a breakdown, depression, apathy and a general deterioration in human well-being. The human nervous system is formed and develops only in conditions of a sufficient amount of sunlight. Sunlight is able to stop the development of infectious diseases, being a "natural antiseptic". It is able to kill some fungi and bacteria located on our skin. Sunlight affects the number of red blood cells in our body, increases hemoglobin. How does the absence of the Sun affect the state of our body? Compensate for the absence of the Sun only with food and vitamins will not work, you need the right balance of nutrition, daily routine and active walks in the fresh air. More about this from a medical point of view: The value of light hitting the retina is great. It starts many physiological processes that allow the body to be in an active state. The main action of sunlight is the stimulation of serotonin and the suppression of melatonin production. Excessive activity of melatonin in winter has a depressing effect on the body, causing drowsiness and lethargy. Exactly the same effect can be observed with a decrease in the light flux due to strong and prolonged cloudiness. In cloudy summer conditions, it is very difficult for the body to recover from a long winter. Winter depression is a common phenomenon caused by shortening of daylight hours, lack of sunlight. Daily regime To support the body in conditions of low light activity, it is necessary to observe the correct daily routine. The pineal gland (pineal gland) is responsible for circadian rhythms and the production of melatonin, so a well-structured sleep and activity regimen will help nerve cells cope with the lack of light. You need to sleep in the dark, and stay awake in the light. If at the same time you also balance the diet, then the chance to spend the summer fully, despite the weather, will be higher. In nutrition, a competent ratio of proteins and the “correct” fats of Omega-6 and Omega-3 groups is necessary. Unsaturated fats, unlike saturated fats, lower blood cholesterol levels, which is why they are called "correct". Sources of omega-6 unsaturated fatty acids in the body are vegetable oils: olive, sunflower and linseed. Omega-3 fatty acids are found mainly in fatty fish, pumpkin seeds, soybeans, walnuts and dark green leafy vegetables. Most people consume too much omega-6 and not enough omega-3. The optimal ratio of fatty acids: Omega-6 - 80% and Omega-3 - 20%. It turns out that you need to eat 1.5-2 kg of oily sea fish every week. Not surprisingly, modern diets are often deficient in omega-3s. The total diet should be about 20% fat, about 30% protein, and the remaining 50% carbohydrates. It will not work at all to saturate the body with serotonin with the help of products, since it is not found anywhere in its pure form. You can compensate for the lack of products containing the precursor of serotonin - tryptophan: cheese, rabbit or chicken meat, cottage cheese, eggs, dark chocolate, fish, nuts, seeds, etc. Sweets can stimulate the production of the hormone of joy, but there is a danger of exceeding the amount sufficient for the production of serotonin . A selection of sweet seasonal fruits will be helpful! The use of fast food and the general overload of the diet with “wrong” fats and fast carbohydrates will negatively affect the state of the body. Light therapy Medicine in the fight against seasonal depression offers light therapy. Light therapy is the use of sufficiently bright rays, which, unlike direct sunlight, do not contain ultraviolet radiation. Due to its powerful optical properties, polarized light is able to act directly on intracellular functional parts. Thanks to this, the processes of metabolism and synthesis of substances necessary for normal life are accelerated. As a result, the tone of all tissues increases, immunity increases, regenerative properties become much better, and disease-causing processes are inhibited or even eliminated. Light therapy is used not only for seasonal depression, but also for late sleep syndrome, desynchronization of biological clocks associated with a sharp change in time zones. Vitamin D A separate role in the development of depressive disorders is assigned to vitamin D, which is involved in the metabolism of nerve cell proteins. Its deficiency leads to inhibition of nervous processes and the development of symptoms such as decreased attention, memory, fatigue, and drowsiness. The sufficiency of this vitamin stimulates the production of serotonin and dopamine, which are responsible for a good level of activity of nerve cells. It is worth noting that the synthesis of vitamin D does not depend on daylight hours, but on ultraviolet rays. Despite the important role of vitamin D, it is strictly forbidden to prescribe it on its own. Excessive use of it has toxic effects and requires hospitalization. Finding out about the deficiency and determining the right dose of vitamin D is possible only by the results of a blood test. It is also necessary to be careful about the use of vitamin-mineral complexes, since an overdose of such drugs is no less dangerous than a deficiency. It is important not only to eat right and give the body enough time to rest, but also to add walks and physical activity to the daily routine. They will have a positive effect on well-being, the state of blood vessels, which also suffer in adverse weather. Active walks in the fresh air activate the production of important hormones and neurotransmitters. Serotonin production requires exercise, regular exercise, long walks, proper rest, and even pleasant memories. Sunlight plays an even greater role in plant life and oxygen production on our planet. It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the Sun for all the inhabitants of the Earth. It is not for nothing that for many millennia our ancestors honored him as God, who gives life to all living things! Now in the spring when awakens nature, the spring sun warms with its rays, the human soul and body also flourish. What happens if there is no sun? In such a beautiful spring time, I just want to fall in love, to smile. But in our central strip of Russia in April - May, the weather is very changeable. Therefore, following the calls to smile and enjoy life, it can also cause negative emotions. Everyone already knows that the weather can affect our psychological state. There are biorhythms in nature. Since man is part of nature, he reacts to biorhythms. That is, in cloudy weather (in the autumn-winter period), most people's mood decreases. But not always changes in well-being associated with the weather affect people's livelihoods. But if this really happens, that is, the weather has a strong influence on the psycho-emotional state of a person, then this should cause at least concern. What are the signs of seasonal psycho-emotional violations human body, what are their features? Most often, such seasonal disorders occur in women. Sleep is especially often disturbed, a state of drowsiness appears, the duration of sleep increases, but sleep becomes intermittent. Despite the fact that a woman sleeps longer than usual, sleep does not bring her a sense of rest, and in the morning she wakes up broken and tired. Such sleep among doctors is called "non-restorative sleep." One of the signs of the manifestation of seasonal disorders women also have premenstrual tension syndrome. With its manifestation one to two weeks before the onset of menstruation, women have a whole range of disorders: these are pulling and arching pains in the lower abdomen, in the lower back and mammary glands, swelling of the mammary glands, the occurrence of edema, tearfulness, aggressiveness, irritability, frequent mood swings, touchiness. Thus, a woman with seasonal psycho-emotional disorders are characterized by a depressive state, an increase in the duration of sleep without receiving satisfaction from it, premenstrual tension syndrome, and an increase in body weight. According to statistics, such seasonal depression begin in the fall and end with the beginning of spring. In part, this can be explained by the release of a special hormone secreted, melatonin. It is released only when we are in the dark, it is not produced in the light. Increased production of melatonin promotes the fact that the movements of a person become slow, the person becomes less energetic and needs a long rest. This state can be compared to how animals hibernate in winter. Although most people are calm react in such a state, there are still people who cannot adapt to the increase in melatonin production in winter. They lose the ability to work normally. There are also people who vice versa, fall into a seasonal disorder during the summer when melatonin production is reduced. They become overly energetic and active. One of the most effective methods treatment for seasonal disorders and frequent mood swings is phototherapy or phototherapy. This treatment consists in intensive exposure of a person to artificial light throughout the winter period. Another way is to use melatonin tablets, but these drugs are not yet widely used. Also, a person subject to frequent changes sentiments, can independently increase the amount of light received, for example, take morning walks or take a vacation in the winter and go to places where there is a lot of sun. And now, when spring has already come, and there is enough sun outside the window, these problems can be solved in a natural way.