Oh yes I know, sunglasses are cool. You get to hide away while looking glamorous and enigmatic. And choosing the right pair is like choosing the right jeans or a knockout dress or coat. It’s an important fashion statement. But let’s look at what happens inside our bodies with and without them.
What happens inside our body when we DON’T wear sunglasses?
On a sunny day light waves filter in through our eyes and head for our pituitary and pineal glands. This is how our brain knows to alert the body for direct sunlight. The skin then prepares for the important function of making Vitamin D from direct exposure to the sun.
And what happens when we DO wear sunglasses?
The brain has no idea it’s sunny and will be under the illusion that it’s cloudy. The skin then fails to prepare for the business of making Vitamin D.
Our biorhythms are also regulated by sun exposure and we need a hit of natural light when we get up in the morning and go for a walk or a run. It’s important for the production of melatonin which helps regulate our sleep.
If we don’t get enough daylight it affects our ability to sleep well
Biorhythms govern all our hormones so they are vital for our wellbeing and our mood. We need both sleep and natural light (absorbed through our eyes) to regulate hormones.
Light is as important as any superfood
This is why when the sun is shining and the sky is blue, people have a spring in their step and why in the winter people can feel quite low.
So next time you reach for those sunglasses just think about whether you really need them. There’ll be times sunglasses are necessary to shield your eyes from strong sunlight and it’s ok to wear them occasionally BUT use them sparingly. You’ll be surprised at how your eyes will become used to bright sunlight and less sensitive to the rays once you ditch the glasses.
Comments 3
Contact lenses make your eyes sensitive to light #Dracula sorry can’t give them up 😮 x
Dear Sir,
> >My name is Dr. Manuel Marchiodi ,
> I am writing from Italy. I work in the eyewear industry and some time ago I came up with the article i
> found on wikipedia that sunglasses could rise the risk of skin cancer because it they inhibit the production of melanin:
> >
> >
> > “There has been some speculation that sunglasses actually promote skin cancer.[14] This is due to the eyes being tricked into producing
> > less melanocyte-stimulating hormone in the body.”
> >
> > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunglasses
> >
> > It seems that this melanocyte stimulating hormone is produced with light (UV) through the eye and induces the skin to produce melanin.
> >
> > I than came up with the following answear where DR. Hastings says
> > melanin is only produced from/by the skin itself. Below thr interwiev:
> >
> > http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/questions/question/3263/
> >
> > So now I am a little confused.
> >
> > Beeing a responsible individual when I read the article I was a bit worried.
> > I also read the connection between light, pineal gland and melatonin production that I find interesting. I would like to produce
> sunglasses that interfere
> > as little as possible with the natural melationin production cycle, and it seems that blocking less blue light with sunglasses would be
> a good solution.
> > What do You think……..? I this theory true, could sunglasses interfere with Melatonin production……?
> >
> >
Even short answear would be verY appreciated.
I hope You can find some time to answer to a Young Man who is trying to be responsible and do good as far as he can.
Best regards
Dott. Manuel Marchiodi
……live beautiful……:-)
Author
Yes, my understanding is that melatonin production is inhibited when wearing sunglasses. It’s very important to get natural early morning light onto the naked eye, as well as mid-morning light. They say a good nights sleep starts in the morning.