EmpowHer is reporting that sunlight could help in preventing the flu and in combating Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). According to the article, the flu season mantra of “wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands,” sounds reasonable, but regular exposure to UV is what we really need:

Summer sunlight offers many benefits. One, it catalyzes the production of vitamin D in our skin. Researcher Dr. Michael Holick told Science News that the current daily recommended intake of 400 international units of vitamin D is far too low. Adults need 1,500 to 2,000 IU, he recommends in his new book. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to increased risk of infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases, mood disorders, and more. Americans have low vitamin D levels even in the summer, according to Holick, and can easily slip into a deficiency state in the winter.

UV may also have more benefits besides vitamin D production, according to the article:

Research with animal models demonstrates that the ultraviolet part of the sunlight spectrum has a beneficial effect on the immune system beyond what can be explained by vitamin D production… One hypothesis is that the immune Th1/Th2 balance is shifted by sunlight.

EmpowHer concludes that a combination of vitamin D and sunbeds may be an attractive way to stay healthy this winter.

Read the full article at EmpowHer