For most of my life, the health message about sunshine has been pretty simple.
Be careful.
Cover up.
Wear sunscreen.
Stay out of the midday sun.
And there’s a good reason for that.
Too much ultraviolet radiation damages skin and increases the risk of skin cancer.
That’s not something I’m interested in arguing with.
But lately I’ve been wondering whether that’s the whole conversation.
Because sunlight does more to a human body than hit the skin.
And that’s where things get interesting.
Your Body Responds to Light
We already know sunlight plays a role in vitamin D production.
That’s the familiar part.
But researchers are looking at other things too.
One particularly interesting area involves nitric oxide.
Our skin contains stores of compounds that can release nitric oxide when exposed to ultraviolet light. Nitric oxide helps blood vessels relax, which can lower blood pressure.
And researchers have actually observed blood-pressure changes following UV exposure.
Now you’ve got my attention.
Because high blo…
