With safety measures, exposure to sunlight beneficial for health

With safety measures, exposure to sunlight beneficial for health

By Munirah Al-Fayez

KUWAIT: As temperatures reach more than 50 degrees Celsius in Kuwait, people might find it challenging to go about their daily lives. However, there are perks to living in such a sunny country, Dr Shaikha Al-Mutawa told Kuwait Times. Exposure to the sun is extremely beneficial in increasing vitamin D in a person’s body, according to Dr Mutawa. “A person should be exposed to the sun for 20 minutes daily, while they are wearing short sleeves, so they are sure that their body is fully able to absorb the sunlight,” she said.

Dr Mutawa explained that doing this will increase vitamin D, which will lower a person’s risk of bone fractures and osteoporosis. The best time to be exposed to the sun, says Dr Mutawa, is in the afternoon before the sunset. With all the benefits of the sun, Dr Mutawa says that we still need to put on sunscreen, drink water, and not get immediate exposure to the sun at noon. Research has found that that being exposed to the sun also affects our cognitive functions.

A study done by researchers in the US and published in 2009, suggests that “among participants with depression, low exposure to sunlight was