Solar activity affects life expectancy
Researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology analyzed information about more than 9,000 people stored in church archives and compared a number of demographic parameters with changes in environmental factors, including the level of solar activity, in the period from 1750 to 1900.
The results showed that the life expectancy of people born in years with increased solar activity was on average 5.2 years less than that of people born in years with low solar activity. The most pronounced difference was characteristic of the probability of death during the first two years of life.
Moreover, people born during the years of increased solar activity subsequently had fewer children, who, in turn, also had fewer children. These data indicate that active solar radiation has a negative impact on several generations of people at once.
As an indicator of the level of solar activity, which reaches a maximum every 11 years, the authors used a number of indicators, including the number of spots on the sun.
Solar ultraviolet radiation has a beneficial effect on humans by increasing the content of vitamin D in the body, but it can also lead to a decrease in the level of vitamin B6 (folic acid). Low folic acid content in a woman's body during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of congenital malformations and infant mortality.
Based on the analysis of the collected data, the researchers came to the conclusion that the members of the lower socio-economic strata are the most susceptible to the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Perhaps this is due to the fact that in the analyzed period, Norway, especially for its agricultural regions, was characterized by a clear class division of society. Women working in the fields were more exposed to solar radiation, moreover, in many cases they also ate worse than women of other classes.
According to experts, in the future, climate change and the thinning of the ozone layer of the atmosphere will lead to the fact that more solar radiation will reach the Earth's surface. At the same time, there have been many social changes in society since 1900.
However, researchers warn that women planning to have children should be cautious about this issue, which is of particular importance for people with fair skin moving to countries with a warm climate and a lot of sunny days.
Article by Gine Roll Skjaervo et al. Solar activity at birth predicted infant survival and women's fertility in historical Norway is published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on Gemini materials:
More sun means fewer children, grandchildren.
16.01.2015