Why sunlight is an essential nutrient: circadian rhythm regulation and beyond
Most organisms on this planet evolved to be in sync with the sun’s diurnal cycles. Unfortunately, modern society has created unnatural light environments for humans, in which we’re constantly indoors under artificial lights that provide only a narrow spectrum of light. Moreover, the aggressive anti-sun and pro-sunblock and pro sunglasses campaigns are doing more harm than good, contrary to the popular rhetoric by doctors and health institutions. The lack of sun exposure has detrimental health effects that often go undetected. I propose that light is an essential nutrient.
Light in Ancient Cultures
Ancient cultures were well aware of the health benefits of sunlight. The ancients considered the sun to represent the God Head, as the Greeks called it, and therefore, represented consciousness and life. Here is a short list of sun gods from around the world:
Egypt- Ra, Aten, Amun, Atum
Greece- Helios
Hindu- Surya
Aztec- Huitzilopochtli
Mayan- Kinich Ahau, Ah Kin
Incan- Inti
Norse- Sol
Celtic- Lugh
Light in the quantum biology equation
What if I told you that our health requires us to absorb different wavelengths of light AND to emit our own UV light internally? Living beings are more like dynamic liquid crystalline organisms that emit colors of the rainbow which reflects the organism's degree of coherence. This is not woo-woo. It's been proven by science.
Consists of the subatomic unit of photons. Light can act as both waves and particles and is the main driver of our health. Humans are like batteries. We get most energy from electrons. Light interacts with the electrons in our bodies which “excites” them. We have light receptors in our eyes, skin, melanin, mitochondria, blood, microbes, and certain molecules like flavins. We also produce UV light inside our cells, which is called ultra-weak photonic emission. Humans are made of light and sound.
Light can produce sound when photons are absorbed and their energy creates mechanical sound waves, but that topic is for another blog post. For now, let’s focus on light.
“... life is driven by nothing else but electrons, by the energy given off by these electrons while cascading down from the high level to which they have been boosted up by photons. An electron going around is a little current. What drives life is thus a little electric current.”
Adequate sunlight exposure drives all aspects of human health. Electrons are the main source of energy in the body, and the electrons inside us interact with photons (LIGHT), so we are like human solar panels. Light is a type of electromagnetic energy that acts as both a wave and a particle, which quantum physics calls wave-particle duality. Waves are oscillations that travel through a medium, whereas particles have well-defined positions and trajectories. Charged particles, like electrons and protons, create electromagnetic fields as they move transporting light.
Light is the primary signal that drives our biological processes. Photons interact with the photoreceptors primarily in our eyes, skin, mitochondria, and melanin, which regulates the circadian rhythm and other processes like levels of brain chemicals like dopamine, hormone balance, metabolism, appetite, sleep, fertility status, energy levels, immune system, etc. Through sunlight exposure, we also create structured water (H3O2) which helps our cells act as batteries. Our mitochondrial health relies on proper light exposure. When UV light hits the photoreceptors in our mitochondria (cytochrome c oxidase), it creates more ATP, melatonin, pregnenolone (our master sex hormone), structured water (H3O2), and infrared heat.
The problem with modern society: Malillumination
Visible light contains just a small portion of the light spectrum. We need UV, visible, and infrared light for optimal health, which we naturally get from the sun.
Your light environment matters and is key to all aspects of your health. We need the full spectrum of light that contains all the colors for optimal health, not just artificial blue light. Light effects our biology through the photoelectric effect, which is when photons hit electrons, causing them to become excited.
Most windows block most UV light, red, and infrared light, so we aren't getting the full blend of colors. Instead, we're getting mostly blue light in modern society. Cracking windows can help you get full-spectrum light. Look at the image above and below to compare full-spectrum sunlight to artificial light wavelengths.
“Malillumination is to light as malnutrition is to food.”
Not all light is created equal! It’s best to get full spectrum light at noon, and in the evening and night it’s best to get mostly red light or no light to balance your circadian rhythm.
Why adequate sunlight exposure matters
Of all the solar radiation that reaches the Earth, only about 5% is UV light, approximately 50% is within the visible light spectrum, and about 45% is infrared light. Within the UV light spectrum UVC is the most damaging, but luckily the ozone blocks nearly all of it. Of the UV light that reaches the Earth, about 5-10% is UVB, and it’s the most biologically active but doesn’t penetrate the skin, whereas 90-95% of UV radiation is UVA, which is the most abundant and penetrates the skin.
This is important, because the wavelength of light exerts different biological effects on our bodies. Dr. Jack Kruse's explanation of the photoelectric effect in human biology: UV light is a shorter, higher energy frequency that excites electrons in our atoms, particularly pigmented molecules like melanin, hemoglobin in our blood, and the photoreceptors in our mitochondria, which causes more kinetic energy. Light from UV acts like a particle. On the other end of the spectrum, red and infrared light are longer waves and have less energy and therefore, less ability to excite electrons. Instead, red and infrared light allows light to act more like a wave providing a sort of ripple effect in our cells that reverberates throughout our tissues. Refer to the photo below that shows how different light wavelengths penetrate our skin.
Here are some examples of the health benefits that certain light frequencies exert on human bodies moving from the shortest wavelength (most energy) to the longest wavelength at the infrared spectrum (less energy):
Antiviral > 200 nm-
Vitamin D production: 290-315 nm
Suntan, pain relief, lowers blood pressure, melatonin and serotonin production: 300-400 nm
Circadian rhythm, dopamine, and sex hormone production: 350-450 nm
Antibacterial: 400-450 nm
Pain relief: 490-570 nm
Skin and thyroid health, nerve pain, injury recovery: red light wavelength range (620-750 nm)
Hair growth: 650 nm
Wound healing: 630-700 nm
Photobiomodulation, anti-inflammatory, mitochondrial function, create structured water: 600-1000 nm
Infrared light can be further divided depending on the wavelength— near infrared:700-1400 nm, mid-infrared: 1400-3000 nm, and far infrared: 3000–1,000,000 nm.
As you can see in the image below, different light wavelengths penetrate our skin at different depths where it exerts healing properties like vitamin D synthesis (UVB), wound healing, or anti-inflammatory properties.
Sunlight is the OG circadian rhythm regulator
Source: Allison Clark made in BioRender.com
Most organisms have evolved to have an internal biological clock called the circadian rhythm which regulates various physiological, metabolic, hormonal, and behavioral processes that are primarily dictated by the 24-hour diurnal cycle of the sun.
Our eyes are the windows to our circadian rhythm. Our entire body’s blood passes through our eyes every 10 minutes. Our eyes are densely populated with not only image-producing photoreceptors, but also non-image-forming photoreceptors called intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, which are in the back of the eye and regulate our circadian rhythm. When UV light hits those receptors in the eyes, they excite the electrons in aromatic acids and in the melanin in the photoreceptors which triggers a chain reaction of signaling via the retinohypothalamic tract (RHT) to the superchiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in our brain which communicates with our nervous system. If the eyes are the windows to the circadian rhythm, then the SCN is the master conductor of the circadian rhythm orchestra. More on aromatic acids and melanin later, so stay tuned. This electrical information reaches the suprachiasmatic nucleus in the brain, which is connected to the master centers in the brain: the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and pineal gland. These areas of the brain control the autonomic nervous system and hormone secretion. These areas of the brain send signals to other organs and cells throughout the body that regulate circadian-regulated functions.
Besides our eyes, skin, microbes, and mitochondria, we also have molecules called photoreceptors that absorb UV light. Examples are aromatic compounds such as tyrosine, tryptophan, and phenylalanine, which are the precursors to several neurotransmitters, as well as heme which creates hemoglobin so our blood can carry oxygen. A specific wavelength of UV light excites the electrons within the benzene ring of the aromatic acid causing an excited state. This triggers the molecule to change into something else.
Melatonin should be its highest in the middle of the night and signals the body that it's nighttime. Melatonin is also a powerful antioxidant and also regulates sex hormone production, puberty, fertility, and placental development. High levels of melatonin during the day have been associated with sex hormone imbalances and depression. See the image below to see how the light frequencies from the sun change throughout the day, which ultimately is the master regulator of our circadian rhythm.
In terms of the gastrointestinal tract, several functions are regulated by the circadian rhythm, and thus, light exposure. Our microbes also have their own circadian rhythm which affects different intestinal functions. All of these functions affect the mitochondria, neurotransmitter production, intestinal barrier function, and immune reactions. This has immense consequences for our health. No wonder everyone has digestive, hormonal, metabolic, and mood issues. Most of us aren’t getting adequate sunlight, which is causing a downstream negative effect on our circadian rhythm which affects all aspects of our health. I’m working on another research paper about how our GI tract and microbes rely on adequate sunlight and hope to publish it sometime this year.
Source: Allison Clark made with BioRender.com
In quantum terms, light regulates the cycles of our biology. That's how I see light shaping life. Light excites our electrons and provides energy for our body to carry out various functions, as we've talked about. Light also regulates most of the biological rhythms known as circadian rhythm, ranging from metabolic cycles that last milliseconds to annual cycles, which keeps our bodies locked into a multidimensional entangled time-space continuum.
Melanin: Our body’s main source of energy and a key ingredient to our overall health
A major photoreceptor in our body is melanin. Most people think melanin only provides our body with pigment in our skin, eyes, and hair, but new evidence shows that melanin could be a key aspect of our overall health such as mitochondrial function as well as brain and immune health. Melanin is also present in several organs and tissues throughout our bodies such as the substantia nigra of the brain (neuromelanin), blood vessels, gut microbes, the cochlea of our ears, ovaries, testes, lungs, heart, connective tissue, and pineal gland. This begs the question, why do humans have so much melanin in our bodies beyond skin and hair pigmentation?
Source: Allison Clark made with BioRender.com
Melanin in our skin contains mostly tyrosine, which is an aromatic compound meaning it has a UV-absorbing benzene ring. UV light hits aromatic rings at a peak of about 280nm. The aromatic acids that make up melanin, mostly tyrosine, can also break down to form thyroid hormone and dopamine.When UV light hits tryptophan, it can break down into serotonin and then melatonin at night. Histadine breaks down into histamine which turns into erythema, which helps our skin turn pink when we've had enough sun exposure. Histamine can also convert into urocanic acid which acts as UV protection for our skin. See the image below to see the pathways of these compounds and melanin production.
When UV light hits melanin at about a wavelength of 280nm, it excites the electrons causing melanin to act as a semiconductor, which regulates the electrical aspects of our body and it splits into H+ and O2- and creates free electrons (energy) for our body. Melanin also has a high affinity for binding to metales like iron (Fe3+) found in neuromelanin and copper (Cu2+), which helps reduce oxidative stress in the body. In fact, it is now believed that neuromelanin, which is found in the part of the brain that's dense in dopamine-producing neurons, protects the brain against excessive oxidative damage. This could be why Parkinson’s disease patients have reduced levels of neuromelanin.
Besides triggering the breakdown of aromatic amino acids, melanin protects against reactive oxygen species (ROS), especially in the eyes, skin, and brain. Talking in-depth about melanin requires its own blog post, but suffice it to say that melanin captures energy from sunlight that drives a lot of the energetic processes in our body and has an inverse relationship with ATP as described in this paper.
Summary of the health benefits of adequate sun exposure
circadian rhythm regulation
cardiovascular health— lower blood pressure, increased nitric oxide production
eye health— dopamine and serotonin
increased melanin production— protects skin against UV damage, protects against excessive ROS, can prevent some pathogenic infections, increases energy production in our body
reduced respiratory rate
metabolic health— melanocortin pathway activation
melatonin production regulation— better sleep and antioxidant activity in the body
vitamin D production— see my previous blog posts here
gut health— improved intestinal barrier function, gastrointestinal functions
improved mood— neurotransmitter production (serotonin, dopamine, endorphins)
reduced cancer risk beyond vitamin D production
anti-inflammatory— cytokine, histamine, and vitamin D production
calcium metabolism
creates structured water within our cells and mitochondria
increased ATP production
sex hormone production
Health problems associated with inadequate sun exposure
circadian rhythm dysregulation
eye problems— macular degeneration, myopia, retinal damage
worse sleep— inadequate melatonin production at night
infertility or hormonal imbalances— inadequate sex hormone production
increased overall cancer risk including melanoma!
vitamin D risk
metabolic disorders— melanocortin pathway not activated
gastrointestinal problems such as insufficient digestive enzyme production, poor motility, and intestinal barrier dysfunction
less ATP production
less melanin production— more ROS, less energy capturing from the sun, less skin protection from excessive sun exposure
immune issues— less vitamin D production, increased histamine production (allergies)
mood disorders— neurotransmitter production
no structured water production
Light therapy
Our eyes are the windows to our color perception, and studies have shown that colors affect our mood and health. Some people like Rudolf Steiner believe that colors give rise to feelings and actions. Dr. Max Lüscher believed that people’s color preferences are part of their ancient and primal memory. Fluorescent lights have been shown to cause irritability and ADHD symptoms in children and adults. Here is a short list of how colors can positively affect our health:
Red: inflammation, mitochondrial function, migraines, wound healing, eye and vision, skin, recovery
Orange: wisdom, cheerfulness, new ideas
Yellow: calms irritated and red skin, memory, clarity of thought
Green: pain relief, migraines, healing, growth
Turquoise: acne and skin inflammation
Blue: circadian regulation, arthritis, jaundice, antimicrobial for acne, alertness and attention
Purple: cell rejuvenation, spirituality
Pink: calming, feminine
How to regulate your circadian rhythm
Get morning sunlight exposure: Aim to get sun exposure for 10-15 minutes at sunrise or at least before 10 AM. NO sunglasses and try to expose your skin.
Evening sun exposure: Aim to get sun exposure as the sun is setting for about 10 minutes. NO sunglasses and try to expose your skin. Sunrise and sunset have highest levels of infrared light and build melanin.
No sunglasses: Sunglasses block UV light, which disrupts circadian cues, especially when they’re worn in the morning. Contrary to popular belief, eye health depends on adequate sunlight exposure. Unless you’re around reflective surfaces for prolonged periods like snow, water, or white sand, you likely don’t need sunglasses. If you’re very photosensitive, gradually reduce how long you wear your sunglasses each day.
Eat, exercise, and sleep times: Aim for regular sleep, eating, and exercise times. Sleep in a cold, dark room. When you eat matters just as much as what you eat. Avoid eating and exercising after sunset. Fat for breakfast and a high-protein dinner is ideal. Best to eat within 1 hour of waking and 3-4 hours before bed.
Get outside more: Try to go outside throughout the day so that you’re body can get the proper light cues.
Eat seasonally and locally: Where your food was grown matters because food contains light information. Depending on where your food was grown (latitude), it will contain different H+ isotopes (number of neutrons), which tell your body about the light energy it contains. This informs your body where it is and what time of year it is. When you eat mangoes in Maine in the middle of winter, your body gets very confused.
Open your windows: Open your windows throughout the day. Glass blocks UVB and sometimes UVA light.
Block blue light: Blue light is the main circadian regulator. Use blue light-blocking apps and glasses, especially at night, and avoid all screens 1-2 hours before bedtime. Consider dimming your lights and using candles at night.
A note about sunblock: When you wear sunblock, you are blocking UVA light but allowing other light in like blue light. It also confuses your body because you're not allowing the sun's full spectrum of light to touch your skin. It's best to wear a hat to protect your face. If someone is blue light toxic and eat lots of seed oils, they're going to be more sensitive to the sun and it's more inflammatory for the skin. Using sunblock a lot makes most people stay out longer in the sun than they normally would. It's best to get morning sunlight to build melanin levels gradually throughout the year so you don’t burn your skin when it’s spring and summertime. Moreover, most sunblocks and sunscreens contain toxic and endocrine-disrupting chemicals that also damage sea corals. It’s best to stick with a mineral-based sunblock that contains only zinc oxide and a natural carrier oil.
Sources
The Rainbow and the Worm, Mae-Ho Wan
Light: Medicine of the Future, Jacob Lieberman
Light in Shaping Life: Biophotons in Biology and Medicine, Roeland van Wijk
