Beaches are the top destinations for vacations across America. They are known as touristy destinations and mostly frequented by families and college students for spring and summer break. When people think of the beach, they mostly think about sunburns, the sound of the waves, the feeling of the sand and water, eating ice cream, and walking on boardwalks. However, people don’t know the secret health benefits to living by the sea.

The sun provides your body’s main source of vitamin D, which helps regulate calcium and phosphate levels. This helps build up strong bones, teeth, and muscles, as well as help boost your immune system. Vitamin D deficiency can lead to bone problems and a poor immune system. To gain your daily source of vitamin D, you need to spend just 15 minutes outside and soak up the sun’s UV rays. Too much sunlight can lead to sunburns that everyone dreads, so make sure to apply sunscreen if you plan on spending your day in the sun.

“I love spending time outdoors because I know that being cooped up inside all day can really affect your mood,” says Emma Johnson, a sophomore. “When I go outside, my mood typically changes.”

Sunlight can also help treat seasonal depression, lift your mood, and relieve stress. Serotonin is increased in the brain when you’re exposed to sunlight, making you chemically more happy and leading to you feeling happier. 

Along with feeling relaxed, sunlight can make you go to sleep easier. Dark spaces help your brain to release melatonin, a chemical that aids the body in preparing for rest and sleeping. By being exposed to the sun, you will feel more energetic, which causes your body to get tired faster after being exposed to darkness and the melatonin to work faster. 

The sun, however, isn’t the only beneficial aspect of the beach. The ocean has some great health benefits of its own. It’s rich with minerals-magnesium, sodium, and sulphate-that provide nutrients for your skin and hair. It helps your hair to feel strong and less oily, while your skin can get exfoliated by the sand. The minerals also help certain skin conditions, such as psoriasis and eczema, and leads to reduced acne for acne-prone skin. 

However, too much of anything is bad for you, so be careful to not expose yourself to too much sunlight. Excessive UV exposure can lead to heat exhaustion and stroke and in some cases cancer of the skin and eyes. 

“I’m in my room 24/7, so I like to get fresh air and get away from my phone for 30 minutes,” states Katina Bryant, a freshman. 

So what are you waiting for? Go to the beach this summer, soak up the sun, and wade in the water to reap the healthy benefits!