Hypertension (high blood pressure)—now officially defined as anything over 130/80—is very destructive to our health. It has been found to increase the risk of the following life-altering or life-threatening conditions:
- Memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease
- Aneurysms and stroke
- Aortic dissection (severe damage to your body’s main artery)
- Macular degeneration and subsequent blindness
- Cancer (yes, cancer!)
- Chest pain and heart attacks
- Congestive heart failure
- Diabetes
- Insomnia (due to sleep apnea)
- Kidney failure
- Mood disorders: Irritability, trouble concentrating, and personality changes
- Obesity
- Osteopenia, osteoporosis, and bone fractures
- Sexual dysfunction (both men & women)
There is now a “new” and natural weapon to help the growing number of people with hypertension. This weapon is as close as your backyard. It is good old-fashioned sunlight.
So, what is the mechanism that allows sunlight to lower blood pressure? The answer is nitric oxide. Nitric oxide lowers blood pressure by inducing dilation of blood vessels by causing relaxation of vascular smooth muscle, and by reducing the outflow of norepinephrine from sympathetic nerves terminals in the brainstem. What’s more fascinating is that researchers found that our skin contains significant stores of nitric oxide. These stores are released into the bloodstream when our skin is exposed to UVA—the long-wave ultraviolet light found in sunlight.
