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Is Sunlight Bad for Your Eyes?

February 16th, 2007

by Martin Sussman

The evil sun will ruin your eyes. At least, that’s the message from the mainstream eye doctors. “Put on those sunglasses,” they scream. Buy ‘transition lenses’ that automatically darken in sunlight. If you followed their advice, you’d never let the light of the sun hit your eyes. Which, I believe (as do many others) to be a big mistake.

Our eyes are light receptors. They need light to see. They need light to set the iinternal clock of the body. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is cured by people sitting in front of a light box that mimics the full range of natural sunlight. John Ott, and many after him, have highlighted the health benefits of natural light, and the health risks of not getting enough natural light. (Here’s a good synopsis of Ott’s work: http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/full_spectrum_sunlight.html)

I’m not advoating staring at the sun, and sunglasses are necessary in situations of glare and intense light, but let’s not go overboard. Our bodies need sunlight to make Vitamin D (which some research indicates might be helpful in reducing nearsightedness, among its many other health benefits).

Most warnings against sunlight center around UV light. This portion of the full spectrum of light can have damaging effects (that’s why museums don’t have windows!) but we also need the UV light. For example, many plants won’t grow without it (again, read Dr. Ott). And it might even be helpful for asthma and allergies.
I suggest that people spend at least 20-30 minutes a day outside so the full range of natural sunlight can enter the body through the eyes – without glasses or contacts, because these block the UV. Also, according to at least one doctor I’ve read, it’s possible for your body to resist the negative or potentially harmful effects of UV light if you take enough anti-oxidants. According to him, 1000 mg of vitamin C and 1000 IU of vitamin E will cut down your need for sunscreen and prevent a sun burn. I’ve tried it, and it seems to work for me.

Everything can be harmful in large enough doses. But I believe that the sun is necessary for our health in sensible, moderate doses. In fact, I’ve found that sensitivity to light decreases when a person spends regular time outdoors as their eyes and body become more accustomed to the full-spectrum of light.

There are other dimensions to light that intrigue me as well: The metaphorical and spiritual dimensions of light. But I’ll leave that to another post.

Entry Filed under: Vision Improvement