Ten reasons why summer is good for you

After a seemingly endless winter, it looks like summer is finally on its way.

But sunny skies and rising temperatures do more than make our environment a pleasant place. They also provide some very significant benefits to our health and wellbeing.

Sunlight helps to regulate almost all our bodily processes, as well as acting as psychological encouragement to improve our lifestyle.

Here, we bring you the top ten reasons why the summer is just what the doctor ordered.

1. Reduces chance of heart attacks

Research indicates that you are less likely to die of a heart attack in the summer than in the winter.

In a study of almost 11,000 people who had heart attacks in the UK over a period of nine years, survival rate increased by 19 per cent if the attack occurred in the summer.

Higher levels of Vitamin D - which is synthesised by sunlight - are also thought to play a protective part in those who suffer heart attacks.

It's also good news for those with high cholesterol. Ultraviolet light converts cholesterol to Vitamin D. Therefore, getting out in the sun is a good way to lower cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Research has also shown that sunlight plays a vital role in fighting many chronic illnesses. A deficiency of Vitamin D - essential for the absorption of calcium - is associated with diseases such as osteoporosis.

Several studies have also shown that ovarian, breast and colon cancers are slowed by exposure to sunlight.

2. People eat more fruit

Rising temperatures and increased availability of summer fruits make it easier to fulfil the recommended quota of eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

Sarah Schenker, of the British Nutrition Foundation, says many summer berries such as blackcurrants and strawberries are high in Vitamin C and contain phytochemicals, whose antioxidant activity helps prevent chronic diseases such as cancer.

They also boost the immune system and, because of their low calorie content, help with weight loss.

Calorie intake in general is lower in the summer because increased body temperature makes us less likely to reach for the sugary and fatty comfort food we use in the winter to stave off the cold.

3. Relieves skin complaints

Controlled exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays can have a therapeutic effect on skin complaints such as acne, psoriasis and dermatitis.

Dr Ian White, consultant dermatologist at St Thomas's Hospital in London, says many skin disorders are caused by an over-sensitive immune system. UV rays reduce that sensitivity.

It is better to walk around in daylight rather than sitting directly exposed to the sun for any length of time because sunburn remains a key factor in causing skin cancer.

The therapeutic effects of the sun occur just below the level of turning skin red. Most fair skins can tolerate up to 15 minutes of direct exposure before the skin turns pink.

After that, lotion with a sun protection factor of between 15 and 30 should be worn.

4. Increases agility

The summer is an excellent time to begin an exercise programme. Not only do summer clothes provide an incentive to get the body in shape, but the feel-good factor created by sunlight boosts our enthusiasm to begin a fitness regime.

Exercise is not only the most effective way to burn up excess calories, but also improves the vital flow of oxygen to the brain, lowering stress levels and improving powers of concentration.

Louise Brooks, regional director for health club chain LA Fitness, suggests aiming for 20 minutes of aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking or swimming, three times a week.

The warm weather is also good news for those suffering from arthritis. Many people feel more agile and in less pain during the summer.

5. Increases our water consumption

Water is vital to thousands of chemical processes that take place in the body's cells to enable it to function. These include promoting digestion, regulating body temperature, improving the health and vitality of our skin and flushing toxins from the body.

In the summer months we are more inclined to drink the recommended two litres of water a day needed for optimum health.

The more fluid your body loses the more

6. Reduces DVT risk

The warmer days of summer are good news for those at risk of thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.

Doctors say a spell of warm weather helps blood vessels enlarge, allowing blood to circulate better.

7. Helps migraine sufferers

Canadian doctors running trials testing the link between weather and migraines have concluded that clear, sunny and dry weather reduces attacks of migraine. However, if the weather turns muggy, watch out because the symptoms may return.

8. Effects on diabetes

Doctors have found that climate fluctuations can account for increased rates of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM).

Statistics show this form of diabetes is less common in hot countries near the equator. One theory for this is that the amount of daylight may influence either insulin action or the cocktail of hormones that regulate insulin production.

This seasonal effect seems to be most pronounced in IDDM patients in the age range of five to 15. Males seem more susceptible than females.

People's eating habits are different in the summer and winter. The types of foods, the total calories consumed and the timing of the meals all vary with the seasons. Most people, including diabetics, tend to eat extra fresh fruit when they become available in the summer. This has an important effect on their insulin levels.

9. Prevents hip fractures

A healthy dose of sunshine could prevent older women from fracturing their hips, according to researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.

They found that half of postmenopausal women admitted to the hospital with hip fractures had low levels of Vitamin D, which is boosted by sunlight.

The risk of post-menopausal women developing hip fractures is thought to be equal to the combined risk of developing breast, ovarian and uterine cancer, and up to 24 per cent of women can die in the first year after suffering a hip fracture.

The research, published in The Journal Of The American Medical Association, suggests Vitamin D could be an important supplement for patients with weakened bones.

The vitamin is also found in cheese, butter, margarine, cream, fortified milk, fish, oysters and fortified cereals.

10. Helps to regulate sleep disorders

Waking up to the sun and getting early-morning exposure to its light can help those suffering from sleep disorders such as insomnia.

This is because sunlight helps the body's internal biological clock reset itself. Sleep experts recommend exposure to an hour of sunlight between 7am and 9am each morning to help those who have problems getting to sleep at night.

Make sure you also go to sleep in a room without light because darkness increases the production of the sleepinducing chemical melatonin.