Sunlight Exposure Helps Improve Blood Sugar Control in Type 2 Diabetes Patients: Study

**Islamabad (Qudrat Daily):** A new study has revealed that simply sitting near a window and soaking in sunlight can help improve blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes.

The research was conducted by a team led by Professor Joris Hoeks from the Department of Human Biology at Maastricht University Medical School in the Netherlands. According to the study, human body cells follow a 24-hour circadian rhythm—a natural internal clock that regulates physical, mental, and behavioral processes—and this rhythm is strongly influenced by exposure to sunlight.

To examine whether natural daylight through a window could improve blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes, researchers recruited 13 participants with an average age of 70 years. The participants spent four and a half days in a room with a large window, where they were exposed to natural sunlight for nine hours daily, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., without any artificial lighting. During this period, they continued taking their regular diabetes medication, ate three meals a day to maintain weight, and followed their usual sleep and exercise routines.

One month later, the same participants spent another four and a half days under similar conditions, but this time in a windowless room with only artificial lighting. Analysis showed that during exposure to natural sunlight, participants’ blood sugar levels remained within the normal range for about 50 percent of the time. In contrast, under artificial lighting, blood sugar levels stayed within the normal range for only around 43 percent of the time.

The study found that sunlight helps optimize the body’s natural biological systems, leading to improved fat burning and energy utilization. Increased production of melatonin at night was also linked to better sleep quality.

Reviewing the findings, Professor Glen Jeffery from the Department of Visual Neuroscience at University College London said the research highlights the critical importance of sunlight for human health. He added that larger-scale clinical studies are still needed to further confirm these results.