Sunlight was one of the first, freest and most effective means of healing for the early man and even till date, it is still used in healing a lot of illnesses and also used to cleanse the body.
Before modern medicine and the invention of antibiotics, even before the reign of ancient Egypt, natural healers and physicians used sunlight to detoxify, heal the body, treat bone problems, tuberculosis and other infections of the lungs and heal wounds.
Sunlight was even used to preserve food because it has the ability to kill bacteria and harmful germs that can cause food spoilage. Due to its efficiency in killing germs, it was revered as an efficient wound healer.
All living things on this planet, including human beings, depend on the sun for life; all of nature is solar-powered and without sunlight, there will be no man, no plants and all life on earth will be lost.
Plants depend on sunlight for their food and growth; man and most animals depend on plants for food. The primary source of vitamin D for man is sunlight and the body can utilize vitamin D gotten from sunlight better than that gotten from food.
The body can even synthesize its own vitamin D when it is exposed to sunlight, a little exposure to sunlight like for five to fifteen minute every day is enough to increase the levels of vitamin D in your body.
Is Sunlight Dangerous or Harmful to the Body?
There are a lot of paranoid and misleading messages claiming that sunlight is dangerous and that it causes cancer, this is not true because there are a lot of historical and scientific proves that ancient cultures had use sunlight to attain radiant health and to heal all kinds of diseases.
The only time the sun is dangerous to your skin is when you always apply harsh chemicals on your skin, these chemicals can be found in some body creams, most sunscreens, and other things applied on the skin which can induce sunburn or skin cancer when the skin is exposed to sunlight.
The sun is also harmful when you are toxic; a toxic person should avoid sunlight because, in the process of detoxification, the skin can appear damaged or sunburned. Another factor that causes sunburn is malnutrition; nutritional deficiency is one of the leading causes of skin cancer and skin problems these days, healthy eating will prevent skin problems when you expose yourself to sunlight.
The sun detoxifies, so when you are toxic and you expose your body to sunlight; the sun tries to cleanse your body by drawing the toxins to the surface of your skin. This is what makes it look as if the sun is not good for the skin.
Most people are toxic these days, there are many things that lead to toxicity and some of them are an intake of unhealthy and over-processed foods, use of harsh chemicals and harmful products on the skin, medications and vaccinations, sunscreen, and other unhealthy products.
Sunscreens are toxic and they are one of the leading causes of skin cancer; they cause more harm than good. It is reported that the rate of skin cancer is the highest in populations with the highest use of sunscreens. Sunscreens do not protect from cancer but rather they cause skin cancer because they are made with dangerous chemicals that are harmful to the skin.
Most sunscreens available today are made with chemicals that cause damage to the body; some of these chemicals are benzophenone 2 (BP2), oxybenzone, Butyl-methdiebenzoylmethane, octyl-methoxycinnamate, and retinyl palmitate. Benzophenone 2 (BP2) decreases and impairs the functions of your thyroid gland, the use of sunscreen is contributing to the high rise of hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) in the society.
Oxybenzone disrupts the levels of hormones and it also causes cell damage and this leads to cancer of the skin in most cases. Butyl-methdiebenzoylmethane releases free radicals into the body, this leads to cancer, rapid aging, and other complications.
Retinyl palmitate is a carcinogen, and octyl-methoxycinnamate leads to rapid and premature aging because it causes oxidation of the skin. Another major disadvantage of sunscreen is that it prevents one from benefiting from the sun; it stops the ability of the skin to create vitamin D using sunlight; this leads to a deficiency in this essential vitamin and this is responsible for a lot of health problems today like decreased immunity, and bone problems.
If you think you are allergic to sunlight, try and cleanse yourself by detoxifying your body, eat healthy foods before you try exposing yourself to sunlight on a daily basis. Better and more beneficial alternatives for sunscreens are coconut oil, aloe vera and healthy nutrition.
How to Benefit from Sunlight?
There are two main ways to benefit from sunlight; there are sunbathing and sun gazing.
Sunbathing
This is the act of sitting down or lying down in the sun, to receive sun rays and tan your skin. Do not wear sunscreens or sunblock or else the aim will be defeated and you will be increasing your risks of chronic health complications.
You can start by sunbathing during sunrise and sunset; avoid high heat of the sun or peak hours until you are used to it. You have to build your tolerance and time spent in the sun slowly before increasing your time spent in the sun and before exposing yourself to the high heat of the sun.
When sunbathing, it is advised to change position after a few minutes, so that all parts of your body can get a bit of sunlight. You can even talk long walks or walk for at least an hour every day under sunlight, combining exercise with sunlight is a great therapy.
Sun gazing
This is the act or practice of starring at sunrise or sunset for a period of time; it is also known as sun-eating and it is safer to start an hour after sunrise and an hour after sunset because the sun is closest to the earth at this time and the ultraviolet and infrared light is minimum; and then you can build up your tolerance and time spent gazing.
This ancient practice allows sunlight to gradually enter into the eyes and correct a lot of damages in the body. It was a forgotten art of healing but Hira Ratan Manek, a sun gazer rediscovered this act and spread it around the world. It is a common practice today and a lot have benefited from sun gazing health wise.
You can also stand barefoot on the ground while doing so; don’t gaze at the sun through windows, do not use contact or glasses and if you can’t see the sun from the ground, you can stay on a balcony or an elevated surface.
Look directly into the rising or setting sun, you can start by doing so for ten seconds and then you slowly build up to thirty minutes a day. You can gaze around the sun and not directly at it if it is too bright. When the day is cloudy, try and gaze at the position of the sun behind the clouds.
You can try to visualize the healing rays of the sun going to parts of your body that are paining you or causing you discomfort. If you feel any discomfort, discontinue and only sun gaze when the light of the sun is at its lowest.
When you want to benefit from the healing powers of sunlight, do not use sunblock or sunscreens because it will make it non-effective and even cause health problems for you.
You can start benefiting from sunlight by slowly exposing yourself to sunlight if you haven’t been doing so. Build up your tolerance slowly and before you know it, you can enter the high heat of the sun.
Health Benefits of Sunlight
The art of healing using sunlight is known as Heliotherapy or Heliosis. Modern light therapy used to heal diseases and health complications mimic the sun and the way it heals the body.
The love and warmth of the sun have made it possible for the human race to still be in existence till date, sunlight can’t harm you if you are not toxic and also when you eat healthy foods. There are many health benefits of sunlight and we will be taking a look at some of them.
It Is a Rich Source of Vitamin D
Vitamin D has a lot of functions in the body, a deficiency in this essential vitamin can be dangerous and life-threatening.
We get 90 to 95 percent of our vitamin D requirement from sunlight and the other percentage is gotten through diet. When you fear or avoid sunlight, you are raising your risk of vitamin D deficiency also known as light deficiency. Some of the important functions of vitamin D in the body are:
- It strengthens the bones and teeth
- It prevents demineralization and weakening of the bones by helping the body absorb calcium from foods
- It prevents bone and teeth problems
- It fights cancers, tumors, and abnormal cells
- It fortifies and strengthens the immune system
- It decreases the severity of infections and it even prevents infections from happening in the first place if you have a rich content of vitamin D in your body.
- It fights asthma and prevents it
- It helps one burn excess fats, it helps a lot in weight loss
- It prevents and protects against brain damage and problems like dementia and rapid brain damage.
It Aids the Absorption of Calcium
Vitamin D helps in the absorption of calcium from the intestines, and calcium plays a lot of important roles in the body and it also strengthens bones and teeth.
It Boosts your Mood
Sunlight makes people happy, it has an effect on serotonin, this is the hormone that makes you happy; when you expose yourself to sunlight, it increases the levels of serotonin in your body and thus boosts your mood.
This is the reason why people feel happier and energetic under sunlight; this is also the reason why sunlight is employed in the treatment of depression and mood disorder.
Combining sunlight with exercise is a great therapy for a lot of health problems like depression, obesity, and other problems. Walking in the park under sunlight is also a great way to boost your health and treat a lot of health problems.
Exercising outdoor, under sunlight help stimulate the production of endorphins in the body; this hormone is called the “feel good hormone”. It creates a feeling of happiness and fulfillment.
It Boosts Mental Health and Functions
When you expose yourself to sunlight, it enters your retina and triggers special areas and this leads to the release of serotonin. Serotonin is the hormone that boosts mood and an increased level of this makes you calm, happy and focused.
A low level of serotonin leads to moodiness and sleepiness; at night and during seasons of low sunlight, melatonin is higher in the body and this hormone makes one sleep.
It Fights Cancer
Most naturalist and even modern doctors advise cancer patients to sunbath; Doctor Zane Kim, an American doctor has a high success rate of curing cancer and what he used for them was sunbathing and healthy nutrition.
With this method, Doctor Kim was able to heal metastasized cancer. Sunlight strengthens the immune system, it kills cancer cells, it prevents the growth and spread of cancer cells and it improves the general health of the body.
Low levels of serotonin can lead to depression, this is the reason why light therapy is used in the treatment of depression. This therapy is known as phototherapy, it mimics natural sunlight.
A box emits light, this light stimulates the brain to reduce excess melatonin and increase the production of serotonin. This has helped greatly in the treatment of depression, anxiety and panic disorder which is mostly caused by low exposure to sunlight and change in seasons.
It Reduces the Risk of Heart Disease
There is a strong link between heart disease and vitamin D deficiency. It is even estimated that people living in the United Kingdom have the highest risk of death by heart disease during winter because they receive a low amount of vitamin D during this time.
The levels of cholesterol also rise during winter and this is a risk factor for heart disease and other chronic diseases. A good way to prevent or cut your risk of heart disease, especially if it runs in your family is to start exposing yourself to sunlight every day.
It kills Harmful Microbes
Sunlight kills harmful bacteria; that is why ancient healers used it to treat wounds, wound infections and it also prevents wound infections.
Sunlight was also used to preserve foods because it could kill the bacteria which caused food spoilage, the modern method of food preservation has replaced sun drying of foods.
In 1903, Niels Finsen; a Noble Prize Winner discovered that sunlight can heal wounds and prevent infection of wounds. This discovery helped German soldiers in treating their wounds after WW1, they used sunlight to disinfect and heal their wounds.
It Prevents Diabetes
Healthy levels of vitamin D in the body helps prevent the onset of diabetes; studies have linked a deficiency in vitamin D to type II diabetes.
A study conducted in Finland proved that children who were given vitamin D supplement for many years had an 80% reduced risk of developing type I diabetes in their adulthood.
It Makes the Skin Healthy
Sunlight makes the skin beautiful when your skin is not toxic and when you eat healthy foods; it makes the skin glow, it prevents rapid aging and it also fights and heals skin problems and disorders like acne, fungal infections, psoriasis, and eczema.
It Prevents Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease that affects the central nervous system; it is one of the leading causes of tremors and paralysis in people. Although the cause is not yet known, it is believed that a deficiency of vitamin D and little exposure to sunlight has a role to play in the development and progression of this disease.
Scientists have also found out that exposure to sunlight during childhood dramatically reduce the risks of having this disease later in life. It is also estimated that countries with a higher amount of sunlight have a lesser incidence of multiple sclerosis.
It Prevents Cavities and Tooth Problems
The sun protects your teeth and keeps them healthy and strong. Studies have shown that cavities are more common in children living in countries with low sunlight like Scotland, Wales and so on.
It Lowers Cholesterol
Sunlight helps the body get rid of excess cholesterol by converting excess of this substance into sex hormones and steroid hormones. This is why it is even believed that sunlight promotes fertility.
When you don’t expose yourself to sunlight, the opposite happens; other substances in your body will be converted to cholesterol and we know the danger of this silent killer. An excess of cholesterol in the body is very dangerous; this condition is known as hypercholesterolemia and it is responsible for a lot of deaths and chronic diseases.
It Relieves Pains and Aches
Sunlight is a natural painkiller and pain reliever, it helps in warming your muscles, it eases stiffness of the muscles and reduces pain. It also has effects on pains caused by inflammation, this includes arthritis pain and others.
It Reduces Blood Pressure
Sunlight is very effective in bringing down high blood pressure, this is why hypertensive patients are advised to expose themselves to sunlight on a daily basis.
This is one of the most effective and cheapest ways to treat high blood pressure and it does not have side effects whereas statins and other pharmaceutical drugs used to treat hypertension have harmful side effects such as depleting the stores of Coenzyme Q10 in the body.
This substance CoQ10 has a lot of important roles it plays in the body especially in generating heart and cellular energy. A deficiency in this enzyme can cause other health complications.
It Prevents Cancer
Sunlight reduces the risk of cancers and it also stops the development of cancer in the first place but this only happens if you expose yourself to sunlight regularly. Sunlight boosts your immune system and it also increases the levels of vitamin D in your body, all these help in preventing and fighting cancer.
To boosts the effectiveness of sunlight in fighting cancer, you have to combine it with healthy nutrition. The United State National Cancer Institute carried out a study and found out that people who regularly expose themselves to high levels of sunlight are less likely to die from cancer of the colon and breast.
A similar study was conducted and a similar result was gotten; the participants had lower risks of cancers of the womb, stomach, bladder, and esophagus.
It Purifies the Blood
Apart from cleansing or detoxifying the body, sunlight also purifies the blood and the blood vessels also. It repairs damaged blood vessels, a medical journal published that there was an improvement in people with hardened blood vessels (atherosclerosis) after exposure to sunlight.
It Boosts Fertility
Sunlight converts excess cholesterol in the body into sex hormones and this help to boosts reproduction. It also reduces the levels of melatonin, an excess of this hormone in the body suppresses the ability to take in or reproduce.
Sunlight also increases the length of your fertility apart from making you fertile; a study conducted in Turkey showed that women who have little exposure to sunlight reach menopause earlier than women who have regular exposure to sunlight.
Studies found that these women reach menopause 7 to 9 years earlier. Sunlight boosts the production of testosterone in men, thereby fighting and preventing low levels of testosterone which is a leading factor of male infertility.
It Boosts the Amount of Oxygen in the Body
Exposure to sunlight increases the quantity of oxygen in your blood and it boosts the capacity of the body to deliver oxygen to every cell and tissue. This has the same effect as exercise; this also helps your muscles develop well, it has a powerful effect on your stamina and fitness.
It Energizes
Sunlight increases the levels of energy in your body; it also reduces the levels of melatonin, this hormone induces sleep and makes one drowsy. This is why during summer, people sleep less but they still feel livelier and energetic. It also makes you feel more positive.
It Strengthens the Immune System
Sunlight increases the number of white blood cells in the body; the white blood cells fight invaders, parasite and other foreign or harmful metabolite that can harm the body.
The white blood cells are also known as Lymphocytes are the part of the immune system that plays a major role in defending and protecting the body from infections and harm. A good and effective way to boost your immune system is to expose yourself to sunlight on a daily basis.
It Treats Inflammatory Bowel Disorder
Inflammatory bowel disorder like Crohn’s disease can be relieved by exposing yourself to sunlight; studies have shown that people with this disorder are deficient in vitamin D. You will increase your levels of vitamin D and treat this problem by exposing yourself to sunlight every day.
You can also get vitamin D from food but people with IBD have poor absorption of fat and this can make it difficult for them to absorb vitamin D from their food. The sun remains their best source of vitamin D.
It Boosts Healthy Growth and Development in Children
This fact has been known and practiced by many cultures throughout history; regular exposure to sunlight helps little children grow well, it increases their height and boosts their development and it helps them grow strong bones and teeth.
Mothers are advised to expose their babies to sunlight; a lot of studies have shown that the amount of sunlight a baby is exposed to can affect how tall that child will be. Please be careful, do not expose a newborn baby to harsh or too high sunlight, you can bring them out during sunrise or sunset, and then as the baby grows, they can withstand normal sunlight.
It Treats Menstrual Problems
Sunlight helps in treating menstrual and ovulation problems and disorders. This includes menstrual pains, irregular periods, polycystic ovary disease and other reproductive problems.
A study was conducted; women with menstrual disorders were treated with calcium and vitamin D and half of them recovered their normal periods and two became pregnant.
Women with Premenstrual syndrome will also benefit from sunlight and get relief.
It Cures Depression
Little or no exposure to sunlight has been linked to depression; it is even stated that during winter and seasons with shorter days and longer nights, the rate of depression increases and this type of depression is called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD is also common in people who spend a lot of time indoors or work for long hours in office buildings.
It Aids Weight Loss
Sunlight increases the levels of serotonin in the body; this makes one happy and it also suppresses appetite thereby controlling food intake and weight gain. It is also reported that people eat less in warm or hot weather.