Sun rays will protect against arthritis
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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American scientists published the results of a study that showed that women who regularly spend time in the sun are less exposed to the risks of getting rheumatoid arthritis. Doctors noticed that this effect of sun rays affects only mature women and associate this pattern with the fact that young girls too often use sunscreen cosmetics, which reduces the effect of direct light.
A study conducted by the specialists of the Harvard School consisted of studying case histories of more than 100,000 female representatives. About 10 years ago, scientists suggested that vitamin D, which is produced by exposure to sunlight, can favorably affect the joints. In the course of the study, the specialists studied in detail the medical history of two groups of mature women. The first group, numbering more than 50,000 people, has been under surveillance since 1976, the second - since 1989. Experts took into account the age of the experimental women, their place of residence, weather conditions and solar radiation in their habitat. During the entire study, rheumatoid arthritis was seen in 1,300 participants in the experiment. After a thorough analysis of the data, the researchers noted that the risk of the disease of women who lived in solar regions decreased by 20-22%. Based on the data obtained, experts concluded that direct sunlight can protect the body from joint diseases.
Rheumatoid arthritis refers to systemic diseases of the joint connective tissue. Experts at this time doubt the nature of the origin of the disease: some indicate an infectious origin, but the impossibility of curing with antibiotics makes doctors think about the incorrectness of such an assumption. The authors of the study found a link between the place of residence and the occurrence of such a disease as rheumatoid arthritis. According to experts, the geography of residence (respectively, the amount of sunlight) affects not only the formation of infectious diseases of the joints, but also the emergence of other autoimmune diseases, among which were called diabetes and inflammation of the intestine.
The results of the study show that exposure to direct sunlight significantly reduces the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Scientists are trying to find out the causes that bind ultraviolet rays and articular tissue disease. Experts allow a positive effect of vitamin D, which can be produced in the process of exposure to sunlight. To date, the Americans have indicated their intention to continue the study in order to determine the age at which the influence of ultraviolet is most favorable.
There was also an offer from British colleagues to investigate the effect of a solarium on the disease. Scientists from the University of London suggested that there is a possibility of using a solarium as an arthritis prevention, which would significantly facilitate the task for women who live in foggy regions.
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