Staring at the sun health benefits
However, some damage can occur in the short term, such as photokeratitis and photoconjunctivitis, an inflammation of the membrane outside of the eye (think pinkeye). It can take years before you experience any of the sun’s damaging effects on your eyes. Although laboratory studies find exposure to UVA rays can damage the retina (the light-sensitive membrane that covers the back of the eye), very little UVA reaches your retina because most is absorbed by other parts of the eye. Exposure to UVB rays is closely linked with photokeratitis (a kind of sunburn of the cornea), cataracts, pterygium (a white or creamy fleshy growth on the surface of the eye) and a form of eye cancer called squamous cell carcinoma of the conjunctiva (a rare tumor of the surface of the eye). The most damaging form is UVC, but luckily it’s absorbed by the earth’s atmosphere and doesn’t reach us. There are three ranges of UV radiation: UVC, UVB and UVA. Cataracts are a leading cause of reduced vision in the United States in people age 60 and older, according to the National Eye Institute. These problems may include cataracts, a clouding of the lens of the eye. However, a number of studies have shown that the effects build up and may increase the chance of developing eye problems later in life.
Experts say it is difficult to isolate the exact amount of damage that UV radiation imposes on the eye over a long period. You shouldn’t “find that your eyes are watering or having challenges maintaining looking at this something for a while.Did you know it’s just as important to protect your eyes from the sun’s harmful rays as it is to shield your skin? The intense ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun can damage sensitive cells in the eyes, eventually affecting vision. “You don’t want to gaze at the sun or refuse to blink,” he says. But, that doesn’t mean you should put your eyesight at risk in the pursuit of sunlight. He also goes on to advise that it’s “50 times less effective to view the sunlight through a window” and that being outside with no glasses on is important. Instead, Dr Huberman suggests sunlight stimulators or, even better, “the ring lights that people use for selfies as these generate a lot of blue light.” That doesn’t mean just scrolling through Instagram, as your phone and laptop won’t produce enough brightness to be effective (although they are enough to block melatonin at night). “In that case, you’re going to want an artificial light that either simulates sunlight, or has a lot of blue light.” “If you can’t see sunlight because of your environment then you are going to have to opt for artificial light,” says Dr Huberman.
Combining the pair can be the best way to improve your wakefulness, which might mean taking your training outside for a morning run, or simply walking to your gym rather than getting the bus so you can take in more light. That’s not to say that working out in a dark studio in the morning won’t help you feel good – exercise is useful for the body’s circadian rhythm but light still remains the most important factor. “In fact, it’s fair to say that light – particularly sunlight – is 1,000 to 10,000 times more effective than say, getting up in darkness and just exercising.” “Bringing that cortisol pulse earlier in your wakeful period has positive benefits, ranging from blood pressure to mental health,” Dr Huberman explains. While “it’s kind of a chicken egg thing” and researchers can’t be sure on cause and effect, those who have cortisol spikes later in the day, rather in the morning, tend to have poorer mental health. “A late shifted cortisol pulse is a consequence and/or a cause of a lot of anxiety disorders and depression,” says Dr Huberman.