What if you could throw away your blood pressure meds simply by basking in the sunlight?
New research shows that sun exposure is directly linked to lower blood pressure.
The study appeared in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Researchers collected blood pressure readings from more than 342,000 people over three years. They analyzed those numbers against data on sun exposure.
Scientists found sunlight exposure was directly linked to lower systolic (top number) blood pressure readings.
Dr. Richard Weller was the study’s lead author. He said the sun’s effect equals about a three-point difference. That may not sound like much, but “a three-millimeter systolic fall in blood pressure reduces cardiovascular events by about 10%. And you know, that’s big.”
Any natural approach to lowering blood pressure is beneficial, especially if it allows you to eliminate or take a lower dose of hypertension medication. Blood-pressure drug side effects are rampant.[1]
Not only were hypertension drugs recently found to contain a cancer-causing chemical, but many are linked to other serious health issues. They include gout, erectile dysfunction, fatigue, blood sugar spikes, and dangerously low potassium levels.[2]
Meanwhile, mainstream medicine villainizes sunlight, saying it causes melanoma. But conventional doctors miss a crucial distinction between sun exposure and sunburn.
Dr. Weller says melanomas “are bad news,” but they aren’t caused by simple sunlight. “It’s caused by sunburn and intermittent sunlight.”
He points out that humans mainly lived outdoors until 150 years go. Spending time in the sun is normal. What’s abnormal is “two weeks in Cancun, or the sunbed.” Doing that bombards people with UV rays—and that’s what leads to melanoma, he said.
Dr. Weller believes dermatologists should “stop fixating on the harm that UV can do” and admit that a growing body of evidence shows “it also has benefits for health.”
4 Health Benefits of Sun Exposure
Lower blood pressure isn’t the only benefit of soaking up a few rays:
- Lower cancer risk. Research shows living in places with fewer daylight hours is linked to greater risk of certain types of cancer. They include prostate, ovarian, pancreatic, colon, and Hodgkin’s lymphoma. This is likely because sunlight induces our skin to create vitamin D, which is known to have anti-cancer properties.[3]
- Stronger bones. The sun’s vitamin D-activating ability comes into play here, too. Adequate vitamin D is necessary for strong, healthy bones. Being deficient is linked to rickets in children and osteoporosis in older people.[4]
- Healthier skin. Common skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, and acne often respond well to light sun exposure.[5]
- Better mood. Lower amounts of sun exposure are linked to a drop in serotonin. That’s the brain chemical that creates a sense of happiness and wellbeing. That’s why shorter winter days with less sun cause seasonal affective disorder.[6]
The bottom line?
Make sure you get sunlight every day. Spending 15 minutes a day in direct sun with your arms and legs exposed will lower your blood pressure and improve your health in other important ways.
Editor’s Note: Air Force fighter pilots discovered a simple trick to lower their blood pressure without drugs or strenuous exercise. Read about this surprisingly effective hypertension solution in our monthly journal Independent Healing. It’s your best source for unbiased, evidence-based solutions to the most common health problems.
Related Articles
14 Foods That Lower Blood Pressure
If You Need a Blood Pressure Pill, Take This
Blood Pressure
Meds Tied to Suicide
Like this Article? Forward this article here or Share on Facebook.
[1]https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/facts.htm
[2]https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2011/03/best-drugs-to-treat-high-blood-pressure/index.htm
[3]https://cjasn.asnjournals.org/content/3/5/1548.full
[4]https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-d-deficiency-symptoms
[5]https://www.who.int/uv/faq/uvhealtfac/en/index1.html
[6]https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20364651