One of my favorite books on the topic of sunlight and health is a book written by Zane R. Kime, MD, MS called, “Sunlight.” In the book, he does a good job of pulling together the science and explaining the relationship between the sun’s light and human health.
In the book, there is a chapter on infectious diseases that talks about how exposure to sunlight (or ultraviolet (UV) light) helps the body defend itself against germs. It does this through multiple pathways. A few of these ways include:
1) Increasing the number of white blood cells in the body, especially lymphocytes which play the leading role of defending the body against germs.
2) Increasing antibodies in the blood for days to weeks after sunlight exposure.
2) Increasing levels of interferon, which has the ability to stop the reproduction of viruses.
3) An overall strengthening of the immune system and an increase in resistance to disease.
I want to share a few of these passages here:
One thing to keep in mind is that while it’s important to get plenty of sun, you never want to burn or make your skin very red.
Book reviews can be found here: Link. It can also be purchased there (no affiliation).
Upside Up Life 