I have always wondered whether wearing sunglasses long term was good for you.
Wearing sunglasses, and the injustice to health
It didn't seem to make sense that looking through a tinted plastic lens, could replicate millions of years of evolution by nature to perfect our eye. Hearing many years ago that the body absorbed certain nutrients through the eye, it made sense to me then, that repeatedly sheltering the eyes from the light (wearing sunglasses) may not be such a good idea.
Auguste Rollier (a heliotherapist) discovered in his sanitariums, that by exposing sufferers of TB and rickets to specific wave lengths of light, he was able to heal them. An astonishing thing happened to those who wore sunglasses, they had trouble synthesising the UVB rays and their bodies were incapable of producing vitamin D. The conclusion being that the eyes seemed to play a role in this process.
There are many health benefits gained by regularly exposing the body and eyes to UV light, the key is moderation.
Benefits of UV light
- UV light activates the synthesis of vitamin D. -One experiment showed those not exposed to UV light had a 25% decrease in calcium absorption, while those exposed had a 15% increase. A net difference of 40%
- UV light lowers blood pressure- just one session of exposure to UV light has has been shown to lower blood pressure for up to 6 days.
- UV light increases the efficiency of the heart, another study showed that 18 out of 20 people, increased their cardiac output by an average of 39%
- UV light reduces cholesterol-patients with hypertension who were exposed to UV light, 97% of the patients showed a 13% decrease in serum cholesterol levels after 2hrs. 86% of these patients maintained this level 24hrs later. The body requires UV to break cholesterol down.
- UV light assists weight loss- Animals exposed to UV light don't fatten as easy as those living indoors. The possible reason for this is that UV plays a role in stimulating the thyroid.
- UV light is an effective treatment for psoriasis- The National Psoriasis Foundation indicates that 80% of those suffering from this disease improve once exposed to UV light.
It appears that the warnings to stay out of the Sun have scared some people to the extent, that to cross a car park in mid-day Sun is the equivalent of being exposed to nuclear fallout. There is a mad rush across the carpark in an attempt to make the unpleasant experience as brief as possible.
The cost of exercising caution to the point of total avoidance, is that many are missing out on these miraculous benefits that small amounts of exposure to UV light may provide. I am not saying do not wear sunglasses, what I am saying is to try to keep them to a minimal when really needed.
Tinted glass(in house and car windows) blocks UV rays, so simply sitting near a window is not good enough. The window must be open.
As mentioned in my blog Malilumination, light plays a vital part in regulating our Circadian rhythm and could even be considered a cornerstone to peak health.
Another blog, We must rewind ourselves mentions our need to get outside more, not just for the light, but to expose ourselves to the elements.
My name is Blair Harvey and I have had the pleasure of working at one of Australia's best Health Retreat's for the past fourteen wonderful years. Over those years I have had the delight of working with a spectacular kitchen team, we all have an immense passion for cooking good healthy food that is unique and tantalizing to your taste buds. Together we have not only developed our skills in cooking wholesome, nourishing and out right delicious foods, but we have been committed to broadening our knowledge of healing with whole foods and exploring the beauty of healthy living. Because of our enthusiasm in the benefits of foods and there healing properties I developed a blog to help us SHARE what we have learnt with the rest of the world.
You will find tasty gems of wisdom on health, food and healing, helping to expand your mind and revitalize your knowledge of healthy eating.