We have been brainwashed into believing that the sun is toxic, whereas in fact it is life-giving. I am a great fan of sunlight exposure to both the skin and the eyes. The sun has been a resource for Planet Earth since the beginning of time; and biological organisms evolved with a constant supply of energy that they could count on every day with the rising sun. Plants use the energy of sunlight to convert inorganic carbon into organic matter, with the help of chlorophyll. Why would animals ignore such an obvious energy source? Just as plants need sunlight to grow, sunlight also plays an essential role in energizing animals, including humans.
I believe that the mechanism with which we safely exploit the sun’s energy is through the oxidation of sulfur to sulfate, with the help of cholesterol. This reaction takes place in the skin—catalyzed by sunlight—and it is vital to our long-term health.
PROTECTIVE SUNLIGHT
People who live in places with little sunlight have statistically higher risk for many chronic conditions, including multiple sclerosis, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, autism, Alzheimer’s disease, and age-related macular degeneration.1 In fact, a great deal of epidemiological evidence suggests that sunlight exposure protects from many different types of cancer. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is recommended in treating different skin conditions, including psoriasis, eczema, jaundice and acne. Sunlight may also be beneficial in healing various autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, inflammatory bowel disease, and thyroiditis.
Yet, chances are that your dermatologist has told you to “stay out of the sun and take a vitamin D supplement every day.” For some, this has seemed like good advice because we have been taught to believe that the sun causes skin cancer and that the only reason to get out in the sunlight at all is to boost vitamin D levels through its UV-stimulated synthesis in the skin. Driven by the belief that the benefits of sunlight exposure are mainly due to vitamin D synthesis, the natural conclusion is that vitamin D supplements would achieve the same goal.
However, the story is not that simple. When placebo-controlled studies are conducted on vitamin D supplementation, they usually produce disappointing results. I believe the reason is that sunlight exposure is about a whole lot more than just vitamin D synthesis in the skin.