What Would Happen If You Always Avoided the Sun?

Our bodies need the Sun more than you might think. A new video from Life Noggin explores the effects a Sun-free lifestyle would have on a human's health—the most dramatic of which would be a vitamin D deficiency.

Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to poor bone health, diabetes, weight gain, depression, a weakened immune system, and cardiovascular disease, among other conditions. Unlike other vitamins, it's nearly impossible to receive the correct levels of vitamin D through food, since it's present in very few foods. On the other hand, your body produces its own vitamin D by photosynthesizing it in your skin when it's exposed to direct sunlight. So you can see why avoiding sunshine isn't a great idea.

We should mention that too much Sun exposure can have adverse affects, too, including increased risk of skin cancer. You can protect yourself by slathering on the sunscreen every day—which more than 50 percent of Americans don't do (ever)—and understanding how SPF is calculated. Chances are, sunscreen manufacturers have been using the term differently than you have.

Check out the video for more info.