Sunshine and Cholesterol

The relationship between sunshine and cholesterol

Let’s talk about something unrelated to beauty care today but a major part of our overall health – Cholesterol. A lot of us have heard about “bad” cholesterol or the negative impact of “high” cholesterol and its link to heart disease. But did you know that cholesterol in it of itself isn’t a bad thing? 

Cholesterol is naturally produced in our body and plays a vital role in the proper functioning of our body. It is essentially a waxy repair substance that exists in all the cells of our body. Its function is to repair damaged tissues in the body. There are 2 types of cholesterol – LDL which is low density lipoprotein and HDL which is high density lipoprotein. This naturally occurring substance only becomes a problem when we have underlying health conditions like inflammation etc. because it can cause a lot of damage when it is unable to function properly. 

Maintaining optimum levels of cholesterol is extremely important in ensuring well-functioning cardiovascular health. One of the easiest, and probably least well known, methods to improving cholesterol levels is something we have access to anywhere between 8 – 12 hours a day. That’s right – we are talking about sunshine. 

The way this works is that while our body is making cholesterol, before it actually becomes cholesterol, it is actually another molecule named 7-Dehydrocholesterol. This molecule is almost on the way to becoming cholesterol but if the sun hits it, this molecule gets converted into vitamin D instead! Pretty fascinating isn’t it? So instead of having high levels of cholesterol, you can have high levels of Vitamin D instead which basically lowers your risk for all kinds of diseases. 

If you don’t, however, get enough sunlight, the 7-Dehydrocholesterol never gets a chance to be converted into vitamin D and instead becomes cholesterol in your body elevating your cholesterol levels beyond the optimum and increasing your risk of various illnesses.

What can make a stronger case to grab some rays today? Soak up the rays to live longer and healthier! Be safe and sensible though – enjoy the sunshine before the sun gets too hot and make sure to slather on some sunscreen after you’ve had your daily dose of the sunshine vitamin. We have a range of natural and organic SPF and broad spectrum coverage sunscreens that you can use to keep your skin healthy.