Sunlight can affect cholesterol and blood pressure values

It is well known that limiting sun exposure can lead to vitamin D deficiency, but there are other consequences of limiting sun exposure besides vitamin D deficiency. Contemporary people are familiar with the dangers of high blood cholesterol levels, but few understand the cholesterol-lowering effect of the sun.

It is well known that limiting sun exposure can lead to vitamin D deficiency, but there are other consequences of limiting sun exposure besides vitamin D deficiency. Contemporary people are familiar with the dangers of high blood cholesterol levels, but few understand the cholesterol-lowering effect of the sun. Cholesterol plays a big role in the body and is the precursor of steroid hormones. Its molecular structure is similar to vitamin D, adrenocortical hormone and the sex hormones we need for reproduction. High cholesterol damages arteries, leading to high blood pressure, clogged blood vessels and blood clots. The vitamin D precursor 7-dehydrocholesterol and cholesterol are derived from squalene. Apparently, squalene in the skin is converted into vitamin D when exposed to sunlight and into cholesterol in the absence of sunlight. This may explain high blood cholesterol levels in high latitudes, and seasonal changes in blood cholesterol levels have also been reported. It seems that during the winter, cholesterol levels increase and vitamin D levels decrease, related to exposure to sunlight.

Sunlight can also greatly affect a person's blood pressure. As we all know, experiments conducted more than half a century ago have proven that ultraviolet radiation can lower blood pressure in normal people, and has an even greater impact on individuals with high blood pressure. The "American Journal of Psychology" published a research report in 1935, showing that ultraviolet radiation can reduce the blood pressure of 60%-70% of hypertensive individuals. Some individuals who participated in the experiment had their systolic blood pressure (the highest value of blood pressure) reduced to 40mm/Hg and diastolic blood pressure (low blood pressure) to 20mm/Hg. It can be seen that if ultraviolet irradiation can effectively reduce blood pressure, it cannot be understood that the ultraviolet rays of the sun in winter are the weakest and blood pressure is the highest, and the ultraviolet rays of the sun in summer are the strongest and blood pressure is the lowest. Blood pressure is also affected by skin pigment: the more pigment, the higher the blood pressure. People of color in the UK and US are more likely to have high blood pressure than people of European descent. In contrast, they have lower average blood pressure and are less likely to suffer from high blood pressure at home closer to the equator. They have little age-related hypertension, which is often the case in whites and African Americans.

Published data shows that the farther away from the equator, the higher the blood pressure. They also know that blood pressure varies with season and geography, and is inversely proportional to sunlight. There is an explanation for the relationship between high blood pressure and weak sunlight: if the cause of elevated thyroid hormones is simply insufficient vitamin D reserves, it may in turn affect the structure and function of blood vessels. This hypothesis, submitted to the Journal of Hypertension in 1997, explains why dark-skinned people farther from the equator are more susceptible to high blood pressure - because they need sufficient sunlight to synthesize vitamin D.

In 1998, research results were published in The Lancet, showing that UVB lowers blood pressure, but UVA has nothing to do with it. Therefore, theoretically speaking, using a parasol to prevent UVB rays from burning the skin will also block the synthesis of vitamin D and the mechanism of lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. Hypertension affects an estimated 50 million people in the United States, costing it $200 million annually. In developed countries, routine medications for the treatment of hypertension are taken for granted and considered an inherent feature of the aging process. These drugs have no side effects and cost the country hundreds of millions in medical expenses every year. High blood pressure is a risk factor for many serious diseases, including stroke, heart disease, and even cancer. The widespread use of high blood pressure medications is understandable, but spending more time outdoors in the sun will solve the problem, if not more convenient, at least cheaper.