Sunbathing in the morning has become commonplace for most Indonesians. Because, It is believed to have benefits for the body. Usually, people start sunbathing at 07.00 to 08.00, with the consideration that at these hours the sun is not too hot so it does not sting on the skin. However, it turns out that these times are not right for sunbathing.
It is said that sunbathing at these hours will not bring much benefit. This was revealed by Community Nutritionist dr. Tan Shot Yen through a video on his YouTube channel. According to sr. Tan, the right time to sunbathing is around 10:00.
"What we really need is ultraviolet B (UVB). Ultraviolet B has shorter waves. So that's why we have to wait for the sun to rise a little. At the equator, it’s already there at 10.00. So that's a better reason for sunbathing at 10:00," he said.
According to Tan, sunbathing does not need to linger, just 15 to 20 minutes, considering the sun at 10:00 is already quite hot. The more the skin's surface is exposed to sunlight at this time, the better benefits you’ll get.
Dr. Tan also explained, ultraviolet B will work with cholesterol that is below the surface of the skin to form Vitamin D3. "Vitamin D3 is what will become a source of human immunity," he explained. Not only that, Vitamin D3 also serves to prevent cancer and autoimmune diseases.
In the video, sr. Tan also asserted sunbathing can’t kill viruses or bacteria on your body or on your skin surface, but can increase your body immunity so it is not susceptible to viruses.
Meanwhile, according to dr. Tan, sunbathing at 07.00 where the sunlight is still dim and has not felt hot, it is dangerous for health. "Sunlight (at 07.00) is called ultraviolet A (UVA) waves that can enter the earth's surface. Ultraviolet A must be avoided, because it can cause cancer and wrinkles," he explained.
The same thing was disclosed by researcher from the Center for Health Research in California, William B. Grant. According to him, UVA rays play an important role in increasing the risk of melanoma (a type of cancer that attacks the skin) compared to UVB. "The time of occurrence (UVA) is approximately around early morning or late afternoon," said William.
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