Fresh Air and Sunshine -Natural "Antibiotics"?

WHEN scientists first discovered antibiotics in the mid-20th century, doctors hoped that these new medications would eliminate certain diseases. At first, the new medicines seemed to live up to their promise. Yet, their widespread use since then has resulted in the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

To find new weapons against infection, some scientists are taking a second look at disease-control methods of the past. One of these involves harnessing the health benefits of sunshine and fresh air.

A Lesson From the Past

England had several early advocates of the curative value of sun and fresh air.  Physician John Lettsom (1744-1815) prescribed sea air and sunshine for children who were suffering from tuberculosis (TB). In 1840, surgeon George Bodington noted that those who worked in the open air - farmers, plowmen, shepherds-were generally free of  TB, whole those who  spent much of their time indoors  seemed more susceptible to it. 

Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) became famous for her innovations in nursing while caring for British soldiers during the Crimean War.  She asked:  "Do you ever go into the bedrooms of any persons . . .at night, or before the windows are opened in the morning, and ever find the air anything but unwholesomely close and foul?" She recommended that the air in  the patient's room be kept as fresh as the outside air, but without chilling the patient. She added:  "It is the unqualified result of all of my experience with the sick, that second only to their need of fresh air is their need of light . . . And that it is not only light but direct sun-light they want."  Many at that time also believed that exposing bed linens and clothing to the sun promoted health. 

Science has progressed since the 1980's, yet modern studies had reached similar conclusions.  For instance, a 2011 study in China found that crowded college dormitories with a low rate of ventilation are "associated with more respiratory infections." 

The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes that natural ventilation, which includes outside air flowing through a building, is important for infection control.  Indeed, WHO guidelines published in 2009  encourage use of such natural ventilation as an effective measure in reducing the risk of infection at health-care facilities.


'That is all very good,' you might say. 'But what is the science behind this?  How do sunshine and air prevent infection?

Next time: Fresh Air and Sunshine - Natural "Antibiotics"?/Nature's Disinfectants

From the jw.org publications