Experts say that exposure to vitamin D enhances mood, immunity, intestinal health, muscles, bones, skin, and sleep quality. Everybody needs a different quantity of sunshine each day, depending on their skin type, region, and general health.
“Twenty minutes is the average amount of time that people can stay out in the sun without causing damage to the skin and increasing the risk of skin cancer. If people need to be out for longer than this, it is recommended that they use sunscreen to protect their skin,” said Dr Nirmala Rajagopalan, general physician, and nutrition coach.
“Generally, spending 10-30 minutes in the middle of the day in the sun several times a week can provide sufficient vitamin D, crucial for bone health and immune function,” added Dr M K Singh, senior consultant, internal medicine at Marengo Asia Hospital, Gurugram.
“People with darker skin need about 30 minutes of sunlight a day. This is because people with darker skin have more melanin which makes the skin a bit more resistant to absorbing sunlight,” stated Dr Rajagopalan.
Individuals who reside in colder climates with prolonged and severe winters will need to lengthen their time spent in the sun.
“People residing in such cold climates, would need exposure to about two hours of sunshine per day for effective production of vitamin D,” added Dr Rajagopalan.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-1432889810-ae90d4b65bb94029a1be4e0dbdd27e72.jpg)
“There is a direct relationship between sleep and gut health. The better the quality of sleep, the chances are that the gut health is also better. Gut health in turn has a direct impact on our immunity and also our moods,” mentioned Dr Rajagopalan.
However, according to Dr. Singh, excessive sun exposure has hazards like skin damage and an increased chance of skin cancer.
