RETHINKING SUNLIGHT: WHY IT'S ESSENTIAL FOR YOUR HEALTH
We often hear that too much sun causes sunburn and skin damage.
But what if avoiding the sun completely is just as bad for you?
Sunlight is like a key that unlocks your body’s health, beyond Vitamin D.
It controls your sleep, boosts your mood, and strengthens your immune system.
Because we live and work indoors so much, many of us are “sunlight deficient.”
In, Rethinking Sunlight: Why It’s Essential for Your Health, let’s learn how to use the sun safely to feel our best.
HOW YOUR BODY MAKES VITAMIN D FROM SUNSHINE
Where Vitamin D Comes From
Your liver naturally makes 70-80% of the cholesterol your body needs for many important jobs.
One of those jobs happens in your skin!
Your skin has a special kind of cholesterol in it, waiting for sunlight.
When you go outside, the UVB rays from the sun hit that cholesterol and turn it into Vitamin D3.
It’s like your skin is a solar panel, using sunshine to make its own vitamin!
Smart Safety Feature
Your body self-regulates sun-made Vitamin D.
After making enough, sunlight starts breaking down any extra into a harmless substance.
You cannot get toxic levels of Vitamin D from the sun alone.
How Your Body Uses It
Vitamin D3 travels to your liver and kidneys, which turn it into the active form your body can use.
This Active Vitamin D Helps Your Body
Absorb calcium from food for strong bones and teeth.
Fight off germs and keep your immune system strong.
Help Cells Behave: Think of it as a cell supervisor.
Specifically, it helps order damaged or abnormal cells to stop dividing and even self-destruct.
This process is crucial because it helps prevent those cells from developing into cancer.
In fact, this is one of your body’s most important natural defenses.
Because of this, having enough Vitamin D is linked to a lower risk of developing several common cancers, including breast, prostate, and colon cancer.
Important Note on Supplements
While the sun can’t give you too much, taking very high doses of Vitamin D supplements for a long time can be harmful.
Doctors consider taking more than 10,000 IU per day for several months a high risk.
Too much can cause calcium to build up in your blood, which can damage your kidneys and heart.
Always talk to a doctor before taking high-dose supplements or taking any supplement for a long time.
Things That Can Get in the Way
Darker skin has more natural sun protection (melanin), so it takes a bit longer in the sun to make the same amount of Vitamin D.
Sunscreen: SPF over 8 blocks 95% of Vitamin D production, so short periods without it help.
Winter or northern areas have weaker sunlight, so making Vitamin D is harder.
Older people’s skin makes it less efficiently.
The Vitamin D Helper: Vitamin K2
Think of Vitamin D as the delivery truck that brings calcium into your body.
Think of Vitamin K2 as the traffic cop that tells the calcium where to go.
Without K2, calcium might go to the wrong places, like your arteries, instead of your bones.
Good food sources of K2:
Egg yolks, liver, chicken, butter from grass-fed cows, and fermented foods like natto, sauerkraut, and aged cheeses (Gouda, Brie, and Jarlsberg).
Foods for Natural Sun Protection
Eating foods rich in antioxidants can help protect your skin from the inside.
These foods help your skin handle a little more sun without burning as quickly.
Astaxanthin: Found in salmon, shrimp, lobster, and krill.
It’s a pigment that gives these foods their pink-red color.
Lycopene: Found in cooked tomatoes, watermelon, and pink grapefruit.
Polyphenols: Found in dark chocolate, blueberries, and green tea.
Omega-3s: Found in fatty fish, chia seeds, and walnuts.
Smart Sun Rules
Don’t burn! A brief 10–30 minutes of midday sun (between 10 AM and 2 PM), without sunscreen, is often enough to make plenty of Vitamin D.
The exact time needed depends on your skin tone.
Why midday?
The sun is highest in the sky, so the specific UVB rays your skin needs to make Vitamin D are strongest and most direct.
This makes the process fast and efficient.
Gradual tanning is your body’s natural way to build protection, but burning is always bad.
After your 10 to 30 minutes of sun, protect yourself.
Use mineral sunscreen
Look for zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.
These sit on your skin and block rays.
They’re gentle and don’t soak into your bloodstream.
Avoid chemical sunscreens
Skip oxybenzone or octinoxate.
These can get into your blood and may cause problems.
Cover up
A hat and long sleeves are the easiest protection.
SUNLIGHT SETS YOUR BODY CLOCK
Your body has a 24-hour internal clock.
It’s called your circadian rhythm.
Sunlight keeps it running on time.
First, bright morning light tells your brain that day has started.
It stops sleep hormones and turns on alertness.
Without this morning light, your internal clock drifts off schedule.
As a result, this causes poor sleep at night and tiredness during the day.
Later, when the sun sets, your body needs darkness.
This lets your sleep hormone (melatonin) rise naturally.
Unfortunately, bright lights and screens at night work against this.
OTHER BENEFITS OF SUNLIGHT
Sunlight contains different colors of light.
Some you can’t even see.
Each type helps your body in different ways.
The warm rays you feel are called infrared and red light.
They go deep into your tissues.
They reach the tiny power plants inside your cells called mitochondria.
These rays help your cells make more energy.
They also reduce swelling and inflammation.
This is why sun time can ease stiff muscles and achy joints.
The mood-boosting light helps lower your stress hormone (cortisol).
At the same time, it increases serotonin in your brain.
Serotonin makes you feel happy, focused, and calm.
This is why people feel sadder in winter.
Light entering your eyes (not looking at the sun directly) triggers pathways in your brain.
These control your mood, energy, and sleep.
This is why light therapy works for winter sadness.
BRINGING THE SUN’S BENEFITS INDOORS
When you cannot get outside, for whatever reason, you can still thoughtfully support your body’s needs.
Make Your Home Brighter
Arrange by Orientation
Arrange your space to follow the sun.
For example, place a chair near an east-facing window to catch the early morning light.
Later use west-facing windows for warm afternoon exposure.
Maximize Reflection
Use light-colored paint, mirrors, and reflective surfaces to bounce natural light deeper into each room.
Incorporate Natural Elements
Adding plants to sunny areas and creating bright reading nooks can help connect you to natural daily rhythms.
Use Helpful Light Tools
Smart Lighting
Smart bulbs, for instance, can adjust the lighting throughout the day.
Providing bright, cool light in the morning and then shifting to warm, amber tones in the evening to mimic natural sunlight.
Light Therapy Lamps
Light therapy lamps offer intense brightness.
Use a therapy lamp, for 20 to 30 minutes after waking, especially during darker months.
Red Light Panels
In the evening, red light therapy panels deliver calming infrared light.
This light can aid muscle recovery and ultimately prepare your body for restful sleep.
Morning and Evening Light Routines
Morning Light Ritual
Begin your day within the first hour of waking with 20 to 30 minutes of bright light from a therapy lamp.
This helps set your internal clock and boosts alertness.
Evening Wind-Down
After sunset, however, switch to warm-toned lamps only.
Also, consider wearing blue-light-blocking glasses if using screens to protect melatonin production and support sleep.
Deep Light Benefits and Nutrition
Deep Light Therapy
Incorporate a red-light therapy panel for 10 to 15 minutes daily.
Consequently, you can gain infrared benefits similar to sunlight, supporting cellular energy and reducing inflammation.
Vitamin D3 Supplementation
Since limited sun exposure affects Vitamin D levels, supplementation may be advised.
As a result, work with a doctor to determine the appropriate amount of Vitamin D3 for you.
Supporting with Vitamin K2
When supplementing with Vitamin D3, it is beneficial to also include Vitamin K2 rich foods, which help guide calcium toward bones and teeth.
Supporting Your Mind and Body
Virtual Nature Connection
To ease feelings of confinement, bring the outdoors in by watching videos of sunny, natural landscapes.
Gentle Mind-Body Practices
Similarly, practice gentle breathing, meditation, or light stretching in your brightest room.
This reduces stress and helps you stay aligned with your body’s natural rhythms.
In short, view sunlight as a key nutrient, not just a threat. First, aim for safe, short periods of sun exposure. Then, bring those benefits indoors. To do this, use smart lighting, eat supportive foods, and keep a steady daily rhythm. As a result, you can support better sleep, stable energy, a stronger immune system, and your long-term cellular health.