A recent study scientifically demonstrates something that most people intuitively realize: sunlight is good for your health. According to Dr. Asher Derman, a building and design environmental consultant, a small but important group of recent medical and health care related studies are beginning to link exposure to daylight and window views with decreases in recuperation times for hospitalized patients.
In another similar study, it was shown that cancer patients who lived in geographic areas with higher amounts of seasonal sunlight tended to die less frequently of their cancers then those in geographic areas with lesser amounts of daylight exposure.
These new studies extend the healing impact that daylight/sunshine and window views have on specific physical conditions. Some explanations stress the role of serotonin, the body’s circadian rhythm response to light. Others speculate that health benefits from sunlight may have something to do with Vitamin D., which is formed naturally in the body as a result of the UV rays in sunlight.
Whatever the cause, there is a clear link between sunlight and physical health. Architects, designers and developers take note!
