facebook icon facebook icon facebook icon
  • About
  • ADS
  • Masthead
    • Editorial Board
  • Submission
  • Subscribe
The Wellesley News -
  • News
    • Contract ratified by Wellesley’s Maintenance and Service Employees Union
      Contract ratified by Wellesley’s Maintenance and Service Employees Union
    • News in Brief
      News in Brief
    • Wellesley adapts to end of race conscious admissions
      Wellesley adapts to end of race conscious admissions
    • Senate Report
    • News in Brief
  • Features
    • Professor Spotlight: Dr. Faisal Ahmed
      Professor Spotlight: Dr. Faisal Ahmed
    • Spotlight: New Professor Kathryn Winner
      Spotlight: New Professor Kathryn Winner
    • Spotlight: New Professor Lucia Nhamo ’11
      Spotlight: New Professor Lucia Nhamo ’11
    • Humans of Wellesley
    • Archives
  • Opinions
    • France’s Abaya Ban Unveils Its Own Misogyny
      France’s Abaya Ban Unveils Its Own Misogyny
    • Editorial: In defense of affirmative action
      Editorial: In defense of affirmative action
    • I am an NCAA champion: we should end college recruiting
      I am an NCAA champion: we should end college recruiting
    • Editorials
    • Letters to Editors
  • Arts
    • The SAG-AFTRA and WGA Strikes: What’s happening in Hollywood?
      The SAG-AFTRA and WGA Strikes: What’s happening in Hollywood?
    • Digging into Hozier’s Unreal Unearth: “De Selby (Part 1)” and the Population of Loss
      Digging into Hozier’s Unreal Unearth: “De Selby (Part 1)” and the Population of Loss
    • Summer Releases to Help Usher in Fall
      Summer Releases to Help Usher in Fall
  • Sports
    • Gauff and Richardson Shatter Expectations
      Gauff and Richardson Shatter Expectations
    • Student Athlete of the Month: Kennedy Mayo
      Student Athlete of the Month: Kennedy Mayo
    • No image
      What even is a BORG and why does it matter?
  • Multimedia
    • Photo of the Week
      Photo of the Week
    • “Stronger Together” Rally with Chelsea Clinton
      “Stronger Together” Rally with Chelsea Clinton
    • College Government Vice President 2016 End of the Year Report
      College Government Vice President 2016 End of the Year Report
    • Podcasts
    • The Wellesley Snooze
  • Projects
      • The News in Conversation
    • About
      • Contact
      • Join the News
      • Masthead
      • Editorial Board
    By Emma Deary Sports and WellnessMay 9, 2019

    Sunlight can make you happier and less stressed

    Photo Courtesy of Caroline Rushforth

    The recent cloudy and chilly weather has many Wellesley students craving the warm summer sun to help propel them through finals. Students repeatedly check the weather, looking forward to the next day when temperatures will finally rise above 70 degrees fahrenheit, and the sun will peek out from behind the clouds. Sunshine prompts lying on Sev green or by the lake while trying to cram the last few days of studying in before finals, as well as study breaks like tossing a frisbee.

    While most articles around the transition from spring to summer focus on the dangers of too much ultraviolet exposure and the risks it has for your skin, laying in the sun can actually be extremely beneficial to both mental and physical health by altering the body’s serotonin and vitamin D levels.

    Sunlight increases the brain’s release of serotonin, a hormone that is associated with mood-boosting and helping a person feel calm and alert. According to the National Center for Biological Information (NCBI), human skin appears to have an inherent serotonergic system, meaning it is capable of producing serotonin. While many studies done on this topic are preliminary, many findings suggest that seasonal alterations (more or less sunlight) in serotonin may partially be the result of the serotonin infrastructure in the skin. This means that the skin is possibly able to produce and bio-regulate the amount of serotonin in the body.

    Without enough sun exposure, your body is unable to produce as much serotonin and can lead to depressive symptoms. This is most common in the winter and is known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), in which a person experiences symptoms of depression due to a lack of sunlight-induced serotonin. However, full remission is experienced in patients during the spring and summer months due to the increase in sunlight exposure because the body is able to compensate by increasing serotonin levels.

    UV rays are also absorbed by many molecules called chromophores in different layers of skin that have mood-boosting effects. They stimulate epidermal cells known as keratinocytes to make beta-endorphins, whose primary function is to reduce stress.

    Vitamin D is also synthesized when skin is exposed to sunlight. Exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) rays is the most natural way that the body produces vitamin D3, and can usually be achieved when bare skin is exposed to sun for 5-10 minutes two to three times per week. However, vitamin D production can vary in amounts depending on skin tone and sunblock application, which both prevent the UV rays from reaching and being absorbed into the skin. When there is an adequate amount of vitamin D in the body, it can help maintain the health of bones and teeth, support the health of the immune system, brain and nervous system, regulate insulin level and support lung function and cardiovascular health according to Megan Ware, a  registered dietician nutritionist.

    Overall, exposure to sunlight can have many positive effects on our bodies and minds, especially in terms of regulating stress and happiness. Therefore, try to get out and enjoy the sunshine when it breaks through the clouds in the coming days!

    Share on

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    • Google +
    • LinkedIn
    • Email
    Previous articleShotokan Karate Club Flies Higher
    Next articleAthletics Update: 5/8/2019

    You may also like

    Gauff and Richardson Shatter Expectations

    Student Athlete of the Month: Kennedy Mayo

    What even is a BORG and why does it matter?

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    The Wellesley News

      SECTIONS

    • News
    • Features
    • Opinions
    • Arts
    • Sports
    • Multimedia
    • Projects
    • About

      ABOUT

    • Contact
    • Join the News
    • Masthead
    • Editorial Board

      RESOURCES

    • Advertising
    • Submission
    • Subscribe

      CONTACT US

    • Contact
    COPYRIGHT © 2023 THE WELLESLEY NEWS