Sunlight Therapy - Natural Medicine for Natural Healing?

Sun worshippers have yet another reason to bask in the sun...

Some healthcare providers believe that sunlight therapy can be effective in helping relieve a number of health conditions.  A matter of fact, a recent study compared 100 patients in Canada, who suffered from depression.  The conclusion of the natural health research demonstrated that patients who received light treatment responded faster without adverse side effects opposed to those receiving antidepressant medication. 

As a natural health medicine, sunlight therapy may well be on its way to proving what most of us already know -- sunshine generally makes us happier.  Think back to a time when you were younger...wasn't it great to get out and play in the afternoon sun? And even as adults, we tend to soak up the rays with utter delight.  The reason sunlight therapy may be as beneficial as it is for seasonal affected disorder (SAD; also seasonal depression) is primarily due to its ability to increase endorphins.  These endorphins are what I'll call "happy hormones," which generally promote a feeling of well being. Chocolate works much in the same way - it, too, raises endorphin levels.

What other natural healing abilities does sunlight therapy offer?  If you're like me, you enjoy the warm glow of the high-noon sun; but just 10 or 15 minutes per day can expose you to a rich source of Vitamin D.  This particular nutrient is especially essential as it provides a critical role in maintaining our organ systems.  Deficiency in Vitamin D can create a slew of health problems including Rickets, high blood pressure, cancer, and several other chronic diseases and disorders.

As a natural health preventative, sunlight's Vitamin D has been shown to prevent or even reverse coronary disease.  Recent studies suggest that individuals exposed to sunlight had a lower concentration of blood cholesterol during the summer months than in winter months.  As most of us are aware, lowering blood cholesterol is vital to maintaining and preserving heart health.

Is sunlight therapy a natural health medicine? If we view the sun in the sense that the existence of nearly all life relies on the light from the sun to survive, we can surmise that it is both a source of life and healing.  However, as with any medicine or natural health supplement, taking the correct dose is all important in leading a healthy, happy life. 

Interested in learning more about this or other alternative medicine therapies? Let professional training within fast-growing industries like massage therapy, holistic medicine, acupuncture, oriental medicine, Reiki, and others get you started! Explore natural health courses near you.

*Source - PubMed - The Can-SAD study; and PubMed - Sunlight, cholesterol and coronary heart disease.

Sunlight Therapy - Natural Medicine for Natural Healing?

The CollegeBound Network

All Rights Reserved

Resource Box: CarolAnn Bailey-Lloyd - Freelance Writer and Web Consultant for HolisticJunction.com, in association with CollegeSurfing.com - Educational Resources for Natural Health, Alternative Medicine, and other healing arts programs.

NOTICE: Article(s) may be republished free of charge to relevant websites, as long as Copyright and Author Resource Box are included; and ALL Hyperlinks REMAIN intact and active.