- Eating organic foods that are fresh and unprocessed is key to healthy living, wellness, and weight loss.
- Exercise is also very important.
- However, most people do not think about sunlight as a contributing factor for weight loss. A study from Northwestern Medicine shows that early morning sun rays may be another key to effective weight management.
- The Northwestern Medicine study reports that the timing, intensity and duration of your daily light exposure are linked to weight. This is the first time that this connection has been shown. The study was published in PLOS One.
- People who had the majority of their daily exposure to moderately bright light in the morning had a significantly lower body mass index (BMI) than those who had most of their light exposure later in the day.
- “The earlier this light exposure occurred during the day, the lower individuals’ body mass index,” said Kathryn Reid, a research associate professor of neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and one of the leaders of the study. “The later the hour of moderately bright light exposure, the higher a person’s BMI.”
- The effects of morning sunlight on BMI was independent from physical activity, caloric intake, sleep timing, age, or season. It was responsible for about 20 percent of a person’s BMI.
- “Light is the most potent agent to synchronize your internal body clock that regulates circadian rhythms, which in turn also regulate energy balance,” said study senior author Phyllis C. Zee, M.D. “The message is that you should get more bright light between 8 a.m. and noon.” About 20 to 30 minutes of morning light is enough to affect BMI.
- “If a person doesn’t get sufficient light at the appropriate time of day, it could de-synchronize your internal body clock, which is known to alter metabolism and can lead to weight gain,” Zee added. The exact mechanism of how light affects body fat requires further research, she noted.
- Most people do not get enough natural light in the morning, as most of American lifestyle during the day is indoors. Work environments are typically poorly lit, with usually about 200 to 300 lux.
- In the study, 500 lux was the “magic number” for having a lower body mass index. Even on cloudy days, outdoor light can be up to 1,000 lux of brightness. Reaching this level of light indoors is very difficult.
- “Light is a modifiable factor with the potential to be used in weight management programs,” Reid explained. “Just like people are trying to get more sleep to help them lose weight, perhaps manipulating light is another way to lose weight.”
- This study shows the importance of circadian health, where exposure to light and dark is synchronized with your internal body clock. “We focus on how too much light at night is bad; it’s also bad not to get enough light at the appropriate time during the day,” Zee said.
- In addition to eating organic foods and exercising, people should be encouraged to get more natural light, especially in the morning.
- Workplaces and schools should have more windows to let in natural light. Employees should be encouraged to go outdoors during breaks, and indoor lighting should be improved in workplaces and schools.
- “This is something we could institute early on in our schools to prevent obesity on a larger scale,” Zee said.
- Please make sure to select the right sunscreen that is safe for you when going outdoors and getting exposure to sunlight.
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