AARP Eye Center
Here Comes the Sun!
By Alejandra Owens, May 19, 2009 03:37 PM
Just in time for the summer, experts are saying that sunshine can help older adults reduce their risk of developing heart disease and diabetes.
It's all about Vitamin D. While exposure to sunlight stimulates vitamin D in the skin - and considering the fact that many older people have vitamin D deficiencies from the natural aging process - researchers have found that sunshine can increase the level of Vitamin D in the body and decrease the chances of getting metabolic syndrome, a condition of multiple medical and metabolic disorders that cause heart disease and diabetes.
Leading researcher, Dr. Oscar Franco at Warwick Medical School, said that while recognizing the importance of sunlight is significant, he stressed what the core problem is: Vitamin D deficiency.
"Vitamin D deficiency is now recognised as a worldwide concern and metabolic syndrome has become a global epidemic. More research is needed to find out why older people are more likely to have lower levels of vitamin D and how this is linked to the development of metabolic syndrome and related metabolic diseases."
On the other hand, the folks at Bulletin Today gives us some alternatives to getting vitamin D - because while sunlight can be good for you, excessive exposure can cause other problems, like skin cancer. Check it out!