Why I love sunlight and why you should too

For most of human history, our ancestors lived outside. Dawn till dusk. Vitamin D levels at the level of any wild animal. Strong bones, sharp minds, good moods, immune systems that fought off pretty much anything.

Then we moved indoors. We slathered on sunscreen. We were told to fear the very thing our biology evolved with.

Today, around 2 in 6 British adults is vitamin D deficient. In winter, it's nearly half. And vitamin D isn't really a vitamin at all. It's a hormone that signals to over 1,000 genes in your body.
Bone density, immune strength, hormonal balance, mental health, cancer prevention. All depend on it.

Your body makes 10,000 IU of vitamin D in 20 minutes of midday summer sun on bare skin. No supplement on Earth matches that.

But there's more.

Sunlight in the eyes within 30 minutes of waking sets your circadian rhythm. Lowers cortisol later in the day. Raises melatonin at night. Better sleep, better mood, better energy.

Sunlight on your skin produces nitric oxide. Lowers blood pressure. Improves heart health.

Sunlight stimulates beta-endorphins. Natural pain relief. Natural antidepressant. Free.

The trick is dose. Not avoidance.

Here's how I do it. 10 to 20 minutes of bare-skin midday sun, no sunscreen, when the UV index is moderate. Build up slowly. Never burn. Burning damages skin. Sensible exposure protects it.

Wear a hat for your face if you're prone to ageing skin. Use a mineral sunscreen (zinc oxide) if you're staying out longer. Avoid the chemical sunscreens that contain oxybenzone, octinoxate and homosalate. They are endocrine disruptors that have been banned in some countries for damaging coral reefs.

The sun is not your enemy. The wrong sunscreen often is.