Patients suffering from hypertension may now turn to a natural remedy to lower blood pressure, and all they'd have to do is spend some time under the sun, according to CTV News. A new study has determined that exposure to sunlight eases hypertension by altering the level of nitric oxide in the skin and dilating blood vessels.

Published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, the research study introduces a new medical benefit from sun exposure apart from getting Vitamin D. The research team from the University of Southampton and University of Edinburgh in England studied how exposure to ultraviolet (UVA) light affected twenty-four (24) volunteers. The research subjects were required to get exposed to UVA light from tanning lamps for two 20-minute sessions.

Live Science reports that the research team conducted two sessions to determine their theory. The first session required the research subjects to undergo exposure to UVA rays and to the heat generated by the tanning lamps. In the second session, the research subjects were exposed only to the heat of the lamps, as they were shielded from exposure to UVA rays. Results revealed that the participants had dilated blood vessels as an effect, leading to a decrease in blood pressure.

It's common knowledge among scientists that nitric oxide regulates blood pressure, as "cells in the inner lining of blood vessels produce nitric oxide to relax, or dilate, the vessels, reducing the pressure against which the heart must work," explains Live Science.

Nitric oxide is found in the blood, but large concentration of the compound is actually stored in the skin. When sunlight hits the skin, the UVA rays mobilize the molecules so that "they travel from skin to blood, where they dilate blood vessels and lower blood pressure," Live Science adds.

Lead author of the study Prof. Martin Feelisch discussed how, "small amounts of NO (nitric oxide) are transferred from the skin to the circulation, lowering blood vessel tone. As blood pressure drops, so does the risk of heart attack and stroke," in a report by CTV News.

The study is significant as it could urge people to grab some sun exposure, and that the habit may lessen the mortality rate caused by cardiovascular diseases. Although findings pave the way to another could-be healthy habit, the reasearchers behind the study are treading on dangerous ground.

The researchers have said, "We are concerned that well-meaning advice to reduce the comparatively low numbers of deaths from skin cancer may inadvertently increase the risk of death from far higher prevalent cardiovascular disease and stroke, and goes against epidemiological data showing that sunlight exposure reduces all cause and cardiovascular mortality," according to NBC News.

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