Many of us feel a little
puffier in the Winter, but as it turns out, there's some unexpected science
behind it. Winter weight gain might not just come from those extra Christmas
cookies — it could be due to a lack of sunshine! Our bodies really do miss that
Summer sun; a study came out and showed that a little bit of sunshine is not
only good for some vitamin D and a happy mood, but it may reduce fat and
regulate metabolism as well.
The Jan. 10 study from the University of Alberta concluded
that "lack of sufficient bodily exposure to sunlight" (read: not
getting enough rays) "may contribute to long-term scWAT [subcutaneous
white adipose tissue] dysfunction and the current epidemics of obesity,
diabetes and cardiovascular disease."
If you just stopped and
said, "Whoa, wait . . . wtf is subcutaneous white adipose tissue?" —
it's fat. But not just any fat! "[scWAT] is the major fat depot in humans
and is a central player in regulating whole body metabolism," the study
said. And this particular type of fat — the one that needs the sun's light —
plays a vital role in your metabolism. Gives a whole new meaning to
"Summer body," doesn't it?
"When the sun's blue
light wavelengths — the light we can see with our eye — penetrate our skin and
reach the fat cells just beneath [the skin's surface], lipid droplets reduce in
size and are released out of the cell. In other words, our cells don't store as
much fat," Peter Light, senior author of the study and professor of
pharmacology and the director of UAlberta's Alberta Diabetes Institute
told ScienceDaily. "If you flip our
findings around, the insufficient sunlight exposure we get eight months of the
year living in a northern climate may be promoting fat storage and contribute
to the typical weight gain some of us have over winter."
Yet another reason to get
outside for extra daylight, yes? Just remember to use that SPF and take care of
your skin, too. Peter Light warned that "this finding is only an initial
observation and that pursuing exposure to sunlight is not a safe or recommended
way to lose weight," according to ScienceDaily. But while studies continue
to be conducted and this topic is further explored, maybe try one of
those sun-simulating indoor lights.
