Rays of Light and Happiness

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Recommended: Different perspectives on seasonal affective disorder

Rays of Light and Happiness

Sunlight is the most important survival factor in human life. Actually, it is the light from the sun at a speed of 186,000 miles a second from a source 93 million miles away that rates with food, water and air support system on earth. (R.B. 2) The sun is a necessary factor in our lives that help our entire body function properly. "Light is as effective as drugs, perhaps more so," writes Anna Wirz-Justice of the Psychiatric Clinic in Basel, Switzerland. (Chamberlain 2) And a specialist in neurological sciences, physiology and psychology, Hughes said. "Light is definitely a nutrient, essential to life and the whole endocrine system. Light has a role in triggering hormones." (R.B. 4) As society grows more and more computer dependant, do you find yourself days or weeks without actual body to sunlight contact?

Rays from the sunlight stimulate the pineal gland, a pea-sized organ in the head. This gland secretes melatonin, a hormone that seems to control many bodily functions. Bright light and the amount of time we are exposed to it can affect our serotonin and melatonin levels. Increasing serotonin levels is one way to achieve better health. Serotonin influences import aspects of our physiology, including body temperature, blood pressure, blood clotting, immunity, pain, digestion, sleep, daily body rhythms, energy level, alertness, mood, sleep/wake cycle, and the ability to control our weight and appetite are all affect by the level of these hormones. Increasing these levels benefits us physically and mentally in our body. (Chamberlain 2, 3) (R.B. 3)

Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.) is a specific type of major depression or mood disorder caused by the lack of light in winter. The most common pattern is the onset of major depression in the fall and abating of the symptoms in late winter to early spring. Symptoms of S.A.D. include weight gain, carbohydrate craving, oversleeping, lack of energy, decreased sex drive, indecisiveness, lack of concentration, and apathy, change in sleep/wake patterns, reduction in quality of sleep, body aches and pain, avoidance of social situations, decreased creativity, irritability, inability to complete tasks and sometimes suicidal thoughts. (Chamberlain 1, 2) Notice the similarity in symptoms of S.A.D. and the influences of Serotonin in the body.

In addition, studies at various colleges prove positive effects of sunlight. At the center of improvement of Undergraduate Education, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.

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