This is your brain on sunshine
With the four-month summer break more than halfway done, it is important to consider the positive effects of this much needed mental break for University of Guelph students. Whether you are working a full-time job, taking online summer courses, or getting out to the lake, hopefully you are getting a chance to be out in the sunshine. Oftentimes it is easy to forget the importance of being outdoors, especially when our academic, work, and social lives primarily take place indoors.
I am currently studying biochemistry and psychology at the University of Guelph. This summer I chose to work at a provincial park in order to get a break from the frantic university student life and to learn more about the environment. From being in Algonquin Park, I have learned that the benefits of being outside are practically limitless.In fact, for Ontario Parks’ 125th anniversary, the province is running a new campaign titled Healthy Parks, Healthy People, which promotes the health of the provincial parks as well as the campers that visit them.
The Healthy Parks, Healthy People campaign has brought forth research that supports the importance of taking a mental break and spending time outside. For example, just 20 minutes outside can help reduce the effects of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); after a walk in nature, memory and attention can increase up to 20 per cent and can improve sleep quality.
According to research conducted by Ontario Parks, spending time in the great outdoors also has a positive effect on physical health. For seniors, those who are physically active are 40 per cent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, seniors who are in regular contact with nature have a 30 per cent lower risk of colon cancer as well as a 50 per cent lower risk of diabetes and heart disease. It has also been found that after two or more days in nature, there is a 50 per cent increase in cancer-fighting white blood cells.
The research also indicates that contact with nature is beneficial in terms of lowering blood pressure, strengthening the immune system, and preventing disease and illness. Moreover, those who benefit from nature are also more likely to give back to it later in life. What part of being outdoors in the summer makes it so beneficial?According to an article in the New York Times,(, there has been an increasing amount of evidence that sunshine plays a key role in affecting our mood. The mood changes people experience in the winter, often called the “winter blues” or “seasonal affective disorder,” have been correlated with the amount of serotonin in the brain.
The article also examines a study done by researchers from the Baker Heart Institute in Australia. These scientists found that the concentrations of serotonin, a chemical messenger in the brain directly related to depression, rise and fall in relation to sunlight. This study was conducted with 100 volunteers from ages 18 to 79. The study used blood samples taken from the jugular vein because it is close to the brain and therefore most accurately displays the concentration of serotonin. These samples were collected and studied at different times of the year. When the intake of blood samples was compared to weather data such as temperature, air pressure, rainfall, and sunlight, only sunlight played a role in the serotonin levels. This study further emphasizes the importance of getting outside and soaking up the summer sunshine to keep up the intake of serotonin via sunlight.
Due to these findings, it is especially important to reflect on the importance of getting outdoors this summer and to make sure there is still an outdoor escape for future generations.
Photo by Rebecca Stevens-Green