You live in the tropics, on the equator and yet most of you spend the day avoiding the best bit about it. Ask anyone living far North or South of the equator if they’d like sunshine 365 days of the year. It’s unlikely you’ll get many “No” responses.
Yet, for some reason, Malaysians avoid the sun like the plague. Many actually configure their daily driving to get from point A to point B without leaving the comfort of their beloved air-conditioning.
It’s understandable. Sweating when not doing a workout is uncomfortable and can be quite socially inconsiderate. Many of you have also been subject to scaremongering by sunscreen companies.
The reality of it though is that you evolved under the sun and, in the right doses, it plays an undervalued role in your health.
First of all, the sun is crucial to your ability to sleep well. Your body clock, known as your Circadian Rhythm, is how your brain dictates when you wake and sleep each day.
Without enough sunlight exposure in the early hours of the day, your body is unable to set this clock and thus release enough melatonin at night.
Cholesterol is converted into vitamin D
A recent study by the aptly named Dr Peter Light found that the melanopsin molecules that detect daylight in your eyes also exist in fat cells.
The study exposed fat cells to blue light for four hours a day for 13 days to see how it affected the structure and function of the adipocytes, cells that specialise in the storage of fat.
The fat cells ended up smaller and weren’t storing as much fat. This is a big deal, because smaller fat cells are better able to accommodate excess lipids, the source of stored energy.
The cells secreted less inflammatory signaling protein that, in high levels, doctors associate with metabolic disease. The researchers also found increased release of glycerol from the fat cells, which suggests a higher rate of fat breakdown.
This correlates with another study by Professor Andrew Brown at the University of New South Wales. It found that ultraviolet exposure to the skin hinders the last step in a 20-stage process required to produce cholesterol.
A substance called 7DHC that will usually become cholesterol is actually converted into Vitamin D. This all makes sense in another study by DS Grimes.
Grimes’ study investigated the connection between sunlight exposure, cholesterol and coronary heart disease and shows that countries further from the equator have higher rates of heart disease.
Pro-hormone D reduces sickness and disease
These countries also had increased blood cholesterol in the winter months, something that you in Malaysia don’t have to deal with.
So other than being better at not having too much cholesterol, why else should you be concerned about Vitamin D? First of all, it’s not a vitamin, despite common terminology.
Our bodies can produce it, so we call it a Pro-hormone. It is a crucial part of calcium processing, as it’s used in absorbing it into your intestines.
Deficiency in Pro-hormone D, as it will be called for the rest of this article, relates to osteoporosis, when your bones become weak and brittle.
Having optimal levels reduces the risk of sicknesses and diseases; from the common flu to diabetes and even cancer.
Pro-hormone D influences over 200 human genes. Its deficiency is associated with numerous brain diseases, so its importance cannot be underestimated.
Therefore do choose to go for your morning jog outside as opposed to on an indoor treadmill. Walk somewhere further away for lunch at work and take the unsheltered route.
Take that 10-minute phone call where you need privacy outside, as opposed to inside a board room. And use your weekends as an excuse to get even more sun.
Your body will thank you, even if it means you have to bring a change of clothes to work or have an extra shower on your Sunday.
Joompa is a digital platform that facilitates the sourcing and booking of freelance, mobile personal fitness coaches. Available on iOS or via www.joompa.com.my