Sunlight For Your Health - UVA and UVB
Sunlight Part 2 of 3
Second time of the Day: UVA light is stronger later in the day - when the sun is 10-30 degrees off the horizon. It stimulates a peptide called Pom-C which breaks into endorphins and can stimulate melanin which acts as a natural sunscreen and can help you build up a pigment in your skin so you can be out in the UVB light for longer periods without needing sunscreen that would block vitamin D conversion. Melanin has neuro-protective qualities, it naturally controls appetite, it is capable of binding with heavy metals and certain chemicals so it can help you detoxify - yes getting a tan can help rid your body of unwanted toxins like heavy metals. It’s an antioxidant, it neutralizes free radicals, it also produces lipotropins which aids in fat burning and that’s not all. UVA also transforms certain amino acids into serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, and thyroid hormones. For those of you thyroid folks out there - UVA supports the creation of T3 and T4 through the conversion of tyrosine. It generates molecular hydrogen, which is the most powerful antioxidant. It can help you feel good - feel motivated to take on your day.
Thyroid and mood medications may be prescribed for the morning. And, our body can make a lot of its own chemicals during the same time of day.
Get out and take a walk to use up some of that glucose from breakfast and get some sunlight.
Third time of Day: UVB light will not be around in the winter - you might not see it after September. UVB light is the most misunderstood type of light. It is the only light that when it hits our skin, we convert cholesterol into Vitamin D, which is essential for our immune system, blood sugar regulation and insulin sensitivity and so much more. UVB light produces many metabolites responsible for bodily functions, for example it produces one metabolite which works with the liver to produce bile acids to be able to digest and metabolize healthy fats which would stabilize our blood sugar. When UVB hits your skin, it changes your gut microbiome to be able to better digest simple sugars (which is convenient because those are the foods that are available when that light is high, i.e. near the equator is where tropical fruits grow.) Eating seasonally is important as much as possible. Ask, what could grow in my environment right now, or what did my ancestors eat in their climate? A long-term goal could be to eat more cyclically with the seasons and in sync nature. UVB reduces risk of cancer, it boosts the immune system, it produces melanin, it creates free electrons, it reduces appetite, it increases fat burning. And, it creates a tan.
When you’re thinking about getting light, you really need to get the morning light and UVA light on your skin, which is going to precondition the skin build the natural sunscreen — naturally protecting the skin from the harmful effects of UVB light. Also recommended is looking up your Fitzpatrick score. If you have very light skin, you need to build up your tolerance with micro doses of UVB, beginning with 5 minutes.
Sidenote, do not wear sunglasses, which block the benefits of the sunlight. Pay attention - do not burn your skin. Build up that base very gradually. [This writing was adapted from the Thyroid Fixxr podcast episode 451.]
