Exposed: The Benefits of Sunlight Revealed

by Rick Mattoon

Since last February, we've been bringing you the Good News about tanning and exposure to ultraviolet light. Whether you receive your dose of UVR from Mother Nature herself or harness that power from your favorite indoor tanning salon, SunWellness wants you to know the positive benefits of UVR so you can make informed decisions about sunlight and your overall health and well-being.

With Old Man Winter on his way, many of us unintentionally will eliminate ultraviolet light from our daily diets. Therefore, it is important that we discuss the indoor environment in relation to our health, productivity and general well-being.

As we slide into the fall and winter, our daylight hours will begin to dwindle which means less time to absorb all the wonderful benefits of sunlight. This means that many of us will be spending more time in our offices and homes---under fluorescent lights--or seeking alternative methods of sunlight exposure, including increased visits to your local indoor tanning salon.

Possibly the most comprehensive, yet least known, research conducted on the effects of lighting on human function and development was the pioneering work of Dr. Darell Boyd Harmon in "The Coordinated Classroom." His research began when the Texas Department of Health initiated a long-range comprehensive program of child development. This research-based program was started as part of the services offered by the Texas school system for protecting and promoting the health of schoolchildren.

To understand Harmon's research and results we must understand full-spectrum lighting, which, unfortunately, has no "official" definition. However, there is a definition related to the use of full-spectrum fluorescent lamps. These lamps are designed to mimic daylight, which consists of infrared light, visible light and invisible light. Invisible light not only consists of gamma and X-rays, but also essential ultraviolet rays like those found in indoor tanning lamps.

Prior to Thomas Edison perfecting the light bulb in 1879, people spent a majority of time outdoors receiving adequate daily doses of natural, full-spectrum sunlight. With the growing availability of the light bulb, life became mostly an "indoor event," which drastically decreased the amount of time people exposed themselves to full-spectrum light, and particularly ultraviolet light.

In the first three years of Harmon's research, schoolchildren were screened for health and educational problems, while the classrooms were inspected for physical factors that may have influenced the student's well-being. Initial information gathered found that more than half of 160,000 children screened developed at least two observable, but preventable, deficiencies. These deficiencies were found to be positively affected by "optimum lighting." This lighting consisted of ultraviolet radiation levels that mimicked that of sunlight.

Problem Areas	Percent Reduction
Visual difficulties	65%
Nutritional problems	47.8%
Chronic infections	43.3%
Postural problems	25.6%
Chronic fatigue	55.6%

In addition to these improvements in the students' physical well-being, other results also were seen in their academic success. Harmon's research is very important since it focused on frequently overlooked physical needs of people in learning and work environments. His research demonstrated the relationship between a typical environment and its health and learning capabilities in regard to ultraviolet exposure.

Go To The Light

John Ott, Ph.D., used the word "serendipity" to describe how his part-time hobby in time-lapse photography sprouted into a pioneering career in the field of photobiology. Dr. Ott spent his free time away from banking, photographing plants under fluorescent lights. His time-lapse sequences showing flowers opening and fruit ripening were used in several Walt Disney nature documentaries featured on television and in films.

During his work with Disney, he often had trouble getting seedlings to grow using typical indoor lighting. Intrigued by the possible connection between varying lightwaves and plant growth, Dr. Ott built a plastic-walled greenhouse in his backyard.

His experiments flourished, and he was so astonished by his findings over the next few years that he successfully carried his theories over to the animal world. Impressed by his results, Loyola University awarded him an honorary doctorate in science. Ultimately, Ott turned his attention toward monitoring the "beneficial effects" of full-spectrum lighting on human conditions.

After years of research and study, he felt certain that ultraviolet light stimulated the human immune system. Of course, anything in large amounts can have negative effects; however, ultraviolet light in moderate amounts acts as a "life-supporting nutrient" that is highly beneficial, says Dr. Ott.

His reply to critics who advocate complete abstinence to ultraviolet exposure is this: "If you put your hand in the furnace, it is going to get burned. But this doesn't mean you avoid heat completely and keep your home at complete zero". Therefore, people must understand that "ultraviolet light is as important as vital nutrients."

Some Benefits from UVR

Most people know of the positive research conducted regarding exposure to ultraviolet light and the production of vitamin D. Yet, few people realize the other proven benefits related to moderate exposure. Consider the following:

UV light & blood pressure

Since the early 1900s, studies have shown that individuals exposed to ultraviolet light can experience lower blood pressure and the effects can last from five to six days.

UV light & heart efficiency

Dr. Raymond Johnson of the Tulane School of Medicine exposed people to ultraviolet light. In 90 percent of the test subjects, their cardiac output increased an average of 39 percent. In other words, their hearts became stronger and pumped more blood.

UV light & cholesterol

In one experiment, patients with hypertension and related circulatory problems were exposed to UV light. Two hours after the first exposure, 97 percent of the patients had almost a 13 percent decrease in serum cholesterol levels.

Getting What's Lacking

Since ultraviolet light has proven benefits to humans, there must be certain unfavorable effects to living and working in an environment consisting totally of artificial lights without ultraviolet.

Regular indoor light bulbs give off practically no ultraviolet light. Some manufacturers even shield the bulbs from emitting what little ultraviolet light there is. So, how is a person subjected to long hours of indoor work and indoor lighting supposed to get the "vital nutrient" recommended by some researchers? The answer may be indoor tanning.

The typical indoor tanning unit allows you the access to ultraviolet light you may be lacking but in a controlled environment compared to the sun's emission. Tanning lamps emit primarily Ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation with a small amount of Ultraviolet B (UVB). The percentage of UVA and UVB is carefully controlled through the lamps design. In regard to tanning, UVA is responsible for the completion of the tanning process and UVB actually initiates the tanning process.

When dealing with outdoor exposure to sunlight, you have many variables to consider in getting a sensible and moderate amount of ultraviolet without sunburning.

The Public's Need for UVR

For millions of years, life on earth successfully evolved under the constant influence of sunlight and ultraviolet rays. People always have felt a natural connection with infrared, visible and invisible or full-spectrum light. Within this assortment of light, researchers like Harmon and Ott have identified a class of light necessary for our well-being--ultraviolet light.

With today's challenging schedules and relentless drive for production, most Americans find the luxury and necessity of UV exposure not fitting into their schedules. However, with the more than 20,000 indoor tanning salons located in the United States, over 25 million consumers are finding the accessibility of UV exposure and tanning beyond convenient.

Today's tanning salons are able to offer consumers clean, affordable services staffed with well-trained, courteous professionals ready to make your tanning experience pleasurable and beneficial.

[Outside Factors] Latitude. A person who can tolerate one hour of sun in Florida without burning may be able to tolerate two hours of sun in New Jersey under the same conditions. Altitude. Each 1,000-foot increase in altitude adds 4 percent to the intensity of the sunburning rays. The intensity of sunlight at 5,000 feet is about 20 percent greater than at sea level. Weather. A bright day with a thin cloud cover has 60 percent to 80 percent of the ultraviolet rays present on a clear day. Clouds can cool and give a false impression that there is little risk of sunburn. Water. As much as 96 percent of ultraviolet rays can penetrate clear water. Time of day. Most ultraviolet rays are more intense between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Clothing. Up to 50 percent of ultraviolet rays can go through wet clothing, such as T-shirts worn for swimming.