Give me some sunshine: Exposure to sun is vital for good health

Nagpur: While work-from-home, online classes and self-imposed social lockdown has prevented many families from getting exposed to the virus, it has also deprived them of getting ‘exposed’ to something highly beneficial - sunlight.
Dr Sandeep Mogre, a paediatrician, said not getting adequate exposure to Sunlight is ‘bad’. “You need sunlight for Vitamin D conversion to happen. Vitamin D synthesized in the skin by ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun has been considered to meet nearly 90% of the daily requirement. It has been suggested that sunlight exposure for approximately 15-30 minutes, twice or thrice a week, is sufficient to produce the required amount (Vitamin D) in children,” he said.
For strong bones and muscles, Vitamin D plays a key role as without it the body cannot effectively absorb calcium that is essential to good bone health.
Orthopaedic surgeon Dr Sushrut Babhulkar said, “We require approximately 1,500 international units of sunlight per day. This means around 40 minutes of exposure to the Sun, but with certain precautions. Maximum benefit comes when the sunlight hits the earth at a 30 degree inclination. Hence it’s suggested that morning time is the best. In Nagpur, where it’s relatively hot, exposure window can be between 7AM to 9AM.”
Eye surgeon and TOI Nagpur Heroes awardee Dr Vinay Nangia said a fair bit of sunlight does benefit. “It’s good for the eyes and it’s good for the body. Direct exposure to sunlight is also beneficial for eyes. When you are deprived of that, there is an increase in chances of myopia. So yes, everyone should make it a habit to step out in the morning sun,” said Dr Nangia who, for the past two decades, has also been involved in epidemiology studies.
Getting exposure to direct sunlight may not be impossible, but in current times it could be a bit cumbersome. Ad guru and fitness enthusiast Sanjay Arora said, “I know it’s not easy but then it’s also not impossible. I never miss my walk and as a precaution I wear two masks. People can go to their apartment terrace or just venture out in the garden with all due precautions. That much exposure to the morning or evening sun will be more than enough.”
But doctors say people must not take every medical advice to the extreme limit. Dermatologist Dr Vikrant Saoji said, “While it’s definitely important to get some exposure to sunlight, there can be negative effects too. Prolonged exposure where your skin starts to feel the pinch is bad. Too much exposure causes problems like wrinkles, faster aging and other skin issues. It’s white skinned people who need all that tanning etc whereas our skin is adapted to the environment.”