Sun bathing is nothing new to us.So many people all over the world are used to it, whether it is in India, along the beaches found in Goa, South India and else where in the world.
From ancient times especially right from Vedic Era Hindus are known to worship Sun good and offer water and other things known as Surya Namaskar.Moreover,the concept of Hindu architecture instructs to fix kitchen and prayer rooms particularly in the East direction in the house.In South India devotees are directed to stand for some time with less clothing in front of an idol inorder to absorb the radiations.
Any country or an island blessed with fabulous and fascinating and natural beaches is attracting plenty of tourists to enjoy sun basking and experience a tranquilising impulse for mind refreshing and rejuvenation.
The valid question arises what does sun bathing offer to an individual .Sun bathing seems to be beneficial especially in the morning hours or just afternoon as contrary to late noon hours.
The minimum time to get sun bath should not be less than fifteen minutes.In case, it is damp weather or rainy reason one can afford to sir in the sun for two hours .Sun provides Vitamin D.The moment sunlight hits the skin it simply triggers the bodys production of vitamin D.
Vitamin D is also called sunshine vitamin.Vitamin D further promotes the release if Cathelicidin.This chemical substance has antimicrobial properties.
Cathelicidins are small,cations ,antimicrobial peptides found in humans and other species including animals such as cattle,horses,pigs,sheep,goats,chicken,rabbits and in some species of fish.
When these peptides get activated they form a very important part of innate immune system of so many vertebrates.
In short ,it can be said that these substances are host defense peptides blessed with antimicrobial properties.
Medical science further reveals that single human cathelicidin peptide LL37 has been shown to posess antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity against a large number of Gram Negative and Gram Positive human pathogens.Not only this they have wound healing property also.The best possible property of such substances is that they do not have any harmful influence on host cell membrane which is something great and quite worth reporting.
Cathelicidins are found in dietary products rich in short chain fatty acids such as acetate,propionate,butyrate and also getvderived by bacterial fermentation of undigested dietary fibre in the colon.
Vitamin D is administrated orally and it induces the production of cathelicidin in atopic individuals.
Cathelicidin is supposed to have an effective role as an Antiviral agent.The recent global outbreak of coronovirus and they way it took away life and also disturbed life,peace ,economy and it's extreme devastating effects on all fronts is known to every human all over the globe, Cathelicidin is proving beneficial in this Pandemic by improving innate immunity in case an individual is exposed to sunlight at least for 30 minutes .
Not only Coronavirus,as we know that the global burden of morbidity and mortality arising from viral infections is high and there is need for the development of effective therapies.Cathelicidin comes up as a natural defense against Coronovirus by boosting the natural production of these peptides.
Apart from the beneficial effects of sunlight on humams ,sunlight can be devastating as well to humans.Exposing to sunlight for hours together especially during afternoon hours leads to skin tanning,ageing,and carcinogenic .
Sunlight contains invisible ultraviolet Ray's .These are radiations which produce harmful effects to human body .
Ultavilolet Ray's A can lead to ageing,Ultraviolet B leads to burning and Ultavilolet C is no doubt beneficial but is masked by ozone layer.
Anam Khan,
BDS III Year
Guided by Prof C.S.Bhan
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