However surprising it may be, some doctors are now describing sunlight as beneficial rather than a cancer risk to be avoided at all costs. Though the dangers of sun exposure–like skin cancer and blindness–should still be taken into consideration, sunlight is still a part of a healthy lifestyle.

Sunlight can reduce the effects of SAD, or seasonal affective disorder—more commonly known as seasonal depression. Doctors have suggested taking walks daily for people who suffer from this disorder, even when the sky is overcast. This has shown to help improve seasonal depression even more than the use of sunlamps.

It appears, through years’ long studies of people who live in sunnier climates and people who are exposed to sunlight through their work situations, that sunlight can actually decrease risk of colon and breast cancer.

In another study, patients who were put in hospital rooms that were sunny requested less pain medication than patients in windowless rooms. Whether the pain is lessened by the sunlight or the patients’ awareness of their pain levels decreased during the study is unclear.

People who are suffering from jet lag can use the sunlight in the area of their destination to reset their internal clock. Exposure to daylight can hasten the body’s ability to get on a sleep schedule that matches the time zone they are in.

Sunlight provides the body with the means to produce Vitamin D. Vitamin D helps the body in various biological functions: It promotes calcium absorption, which in turn deters bone loss; it may help maintain a healthy immune system; it could possibly be a part of the process of cell differentiation.

Of course, it is always smart to practice moderation in everything. However, the connection between good health and sunlight can not be ignored.

By Dorothy Edison