How to protect your cells from sun damage
We all enjoy warm sunny days, and the rays of the sun are essential for the production of vitamin D and to increase serotonin production. Serotonin is known as the happy hormone, it also helps to regulate mood, sleep, appetite, digestion, and memory. But how do you get the benefits without suffering sun damage.
Sadly, the downside of too much sun is sunburn and long-term damage to our skin at a cellular level. There are three types of Ultraviolet rays, UVA, UVB and UVC and these are invisible to the naked eye.
When UV light hits the skin, the DNA in cells can undergo a chemical change. UVB and UVC have the most energy and the potential to cause most damage. However, these wavelengths are mostly removed from the atmosphere by the ozone layer . UVB is responsible for burning and the potential to cause skin cancer while UVA has the ability to cause more cellular harm.
The midday sun consists of 95% UVA, this is the time with the most potential for damage. Although 10-15 minutes of sun exposure without sunscreen is good for the benefits mentioned, beyond this the proteins and DNA in our skin cells are targets for sun damage. This prevents cells carrying normal repair maintenance and can lead to the onset of ageing including pigmentation.
Too much sun stresses the cells and reduces the levels of an essential molecule, NAD. NAD is responsible for energy and influences many cellular functions including DNA repair and the removal of senescent cells (cells that no longer have the ability to divide). The amount of NAD reduces with age and excess sun specifically takes up available resources diverting them from other important tasks.
Why is it important to have a healthy supply of NAD for cells?
NAD is the energy provider for our cells. We need a plentiful supply to partner with a special family of enzymes known as the sirtuins. Sirtuins are the guardians of cellular health including the control of ageing, metabolism and stress response. If levels of NAD fall, then the activity of the sirtuins also diminish to expose our body to higher levels of inflammation.
How to protect NAD levels in the sun.
Practise safe tanning
Only expose yourself to direct sunlight for 10-15 minutes and then cover up or use a high factor SPF of at least 30 on your body and 50 for your face.
Taking a supplement to boost NAD levels will help to elevate the amount of this precious molecule in our cells. Regenerate by Rejuvenated contains NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) an NAD activator to restore more youthful levels. It is combined with sirtuins boosting molecules to promote healthier more energised cells.
