Whole Person Health

Melanin

Nature, when functioning in its native conditions, rarely leaves us hanging. Melanin is what causes pigmentation and is our built-in first line of defense against UV radiation. Not only does it absorb UV rays and transmute it into innocuous heat, but it also works as a powerful antioxidant disarming free-radicals, which cause oxidative stress.

There are two types of melanin. Darker skin contains more eumelanin where as lighter skin contains more pheomelanin. Eumelanin scatters UV rays and blocks penetration into the epidermis. This is far more effective at protecting from harsh sun. Light skin with less protection allows in 24% UVB and 55% of UVA for absorption. In contrast very dark skin only absorbs 7% of UVB and 17% UVA. This makes sense geographically. The closer to the equator your ancestral line originated from, the more intense exposure your skin was primed for. That offers a higher level of protection from UV damage. On the other hand, the darker the skin, the more exposure is required to reap the benefits from suntime. In a globalized world where someone of African descent can live in northern Canada and be socially influenced into fearing the damaging repercussions of the sun, the full picture is rarely understood. This is why communities of color are the most impacted by low vitamin D levels.

For fair skin types which easily burn, the first step in safely harmonizing with the sun is to increase your melanin. The absolute best way to approach this, is to bathe yourself in sunrise beams. Both sunrise and sunset bestow a high infrared density and a lack of UV radiation. Infrared therapies are being recognized for a smattering of healing applications, but in our case we’ll focus on the thermal energy’s effects on skin rejuvenation. Morning light alerts melanocytes to begin producing melanin, in preparation for the coming midday UV rays. In contrast, sunset rays repair any damage that the day’s UV exposure may have incurred. This system is rooted in wisdom. If we consider how our ancestors lived, marinating in the natural radiance from daybreak to twilight, this mechanism in our biology makes sense. Only very recently have we uncoupled from our environment.

The contentious conclusion here being, tanning is protective. Get your bum into the sun.

Nitric Oxide

Free radicals most often come with a negative or even dangerous connotation, but that’s not always the case. Some free radicals act as a signal to initiate many positive functions in the body. Such is the case with the gaseous free radical, nitric oxide. The skin stores a large quantity which is released into our bloodstream by exposure to (you guessed it) sunlight, particularly UVA radiation. Nitric oxide causes dilation of blood vessels, provides immune defense, aids in neurotransmission, and regulates cell motility and apoptosis (healthy cell death).

There is a trend scientists have noticed when researching cardiovascular health that insinuates your risk of cardiovascular disease correlates to your distance from the equator. One study showed sunlight reduces blood pressure and improves hypertension, to the point where hypertensive patients could be able to significantly reduce the amount of medication or wean off altogether with the proper amount of sun exposure. In the summer months, blood pressure is lower compared to the rest of the year and both systolic and diastolic pressure increases as you move further from the equator.

The beneficial effects on cardiovascular health are now believed to be entirely independent of vitamin D production, and absolutely due to UVA-induced nitric oxide.

The Immune System

Sunlight supports the immune system on many fronts. Most well known, would be vitamin D’s role in immune function which has been highlighted as of recently in new research connecting the essential hormone to reduced COVID-19 complications. Nitric oxide has anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial effects. UVA can provide immunoprotection and protects cells against oxidative stress. The free, glowing orb in the sky also energizes infection fighting T-cells, mobilizing them faster to an infection in the body. Not only does catching some rays up your immunity but it eliminates factors that would ail you to begin with, like viruses and bacterias attached to surfaces. You are more likely to be diagnosed with an autoimmune disease the further from the equator you live, implying similar conclusions to the case of blood pressure and cardiovascular health. Infrared, which is present all day but has highest concentrations around sunrise and sunset, reduces inflammation, improves circulation, and promotes regeneration. This is the medicine of sunlight. It’s affordable and it’s accessible, yet we shun it’s life giving properties in favor of pills and allopathic advice.

“Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.”

— Louis D. Brandeis

Eyes

Myopia (near-sightedness) is on the rise worldwide, especially in children. Lengthening periods of screen time is an easy culprit to point a finger at. However research suggests that it’s not the screen time itself, but rather that our screens have drawn us indoors more than ever before in the history of humanity. The modern workforce spends upwards of six hours a day on a computer, and for many their hobbies or socialization circles right back to some sort of screen time.

Myopia occurs when there is elongation of the eyeball, which causes light to refract in a non-optimal way. But what causes elongation, you ask? Lack of dopamine. Outdoor light is a huge contributor to healthy hormone production, like dopamine and others that regulate our circadian rhythm — but that deserves a post of it’s own. It’s also hypothesized that nitric oxide plays a part in halting elongation as well. In one study they looked at over 3,000 elderly participants and found that more schooling increased the likeliness of nearsightedness. In contrast, those with the highest outdoor sun exposure (especially) in their youth, were 30 percent less at risk for becoming myopic. Schools in China are taking big steps to ensure their youth get more scheduled outdoor time during school hours in an effort to combat the nearsighted epidemic. Ninety percent of Chinese college students are affected by myopia. If we don’t begin taking extreme measures, it is predicted that 49.8 percent of the world’s population will be diagnosed as myopic by 2050 and 9.8 percent of the population considered “high myopic” or extremely nearsighted.

Sunglasses have their place, for sure. Fashionably perched atop your head, for instance. Or kept in the compartment in your car to be used liberally for safe driving. Past that, sunglasses are doing us a real big disservice. Similar to sunscreen, we have been told we must protect our eyes from the vicious sun. However as sunglasses usage and shielded indoor time are higher than ever, eye problems continue to soar. It’s almost as if the two are correlated!

Mood

The winter blues have an official name: SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder. While some may just feel a little funky being cooped up in the colder season, for others their mental wellbeing feels devastated. SAD is defined by symptoms such as feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness, problems with sleep, and feeling sluggish or agitated. While these mood changes can seem senseless and out of nowhere, when we look at sunlight’s crucial role in hormone function, the picture becomes clearer.

Since hormone health is an intricate and complicated system, for our purposes we’ll keep it straight forward. Serotonin is widely known as the “feel good” hormone. It stabilizes the mood and is directly tied to happiness. Dopamine is our pleasure and reward system. It increases our sense of motivation and drive. Endorphins can produce a sense of euphoria. Think: eating, exercising, sex. Sunlight increases all of these.

The Scoop on Skin Cancer

At this point, I hope you are thinking to yourself something along the lines of, “Hmmm, she might be onto something here,” and inevitably the next thought, “but… what about skin cancer?” That is what it all comes down to, right? That fear is what has driven professionals and intelligent people alike to vilify the very element that grants us life. This article wouldn’t be acknowledging the whole picture if we didn’t address melanoma.

Melanoma is the skin cancer that haunts sunbathers’ dreams. It is the cancer that we see on the media and is sunscreen’s best advocate. It’s not to be taken lightly, as it causes the most skin cancer deaths in America each year. But it also only accounts for 1 percent of skin cancer diagnoses. A caucasion person is twenty times more likely to be diagnosed than their African American counterpart with a lifetime risk of about 2.5 percent. That means a black person has a .1 percent lifetime risk of getting melanoma and people of hispanic descent fall at .6 percent risk factor.

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common, accounting for 8 out of 10 skin cancers. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the runner up. Together they are to blame for almost 99 percent of those rising skin cancer rates we hear about. We don’t have exact stats on survival rates for either, because cancer registries don’t even collect that information on the basis that the vast majority are treated in a dermatologist’s office. That alone speaks volumes. BCGs hardly ever metastasis and SCCs rarely do. Merkel cell carcinoma is by far the most fatal of all skin cancers, but it is even 40 times more rare than melanoma.

When we do our own risk-benefit analysis, it’s essential to have all the numbers. As we’ve learned by now, there are a ton of health benefits that sunlight infuses into our system as a whole which helps our body, mind, and spirit thrive. For a tangible example, take a look at blood pressure which is directly linked to strokes and heart disease. It is the leading cause of premature death in the US and we know that as little as 30 minutes in the summer sun releases enough nitric oxide to lower blood pressure in a substantial way, substantial enough to lower the death toll by millions worldwide. For each person who dies of skin cancer, one hundred die of cardiovascular disease. Additionally, a variety of cancers such as colorectal and breast cancer rates go up the further distance you are from the equator. These are vastly different cancers by function, you discern what the underlying trend is. While skin cancer is common, melanoma is not. The question is, does the small risk of melanoma outweigh the whole spectrum of benefits gained from sunlight. The next question is (stay with me here), is the sun even to blame for melanoma?

Keep an open mind while we consider our ancestors living under the sun for millennia. They slept under the stars and awoke to the rays spilling over the horizon. They worked, played, hunted, ate, lived under solar radiation. What has changed, our biology or our lifestyle? No longer do we rise with the sun, absorbing it’s infrared rays prepping hormones, melanin, and immunity for the day ahead. No longer do we roam the land half naked and exposed, allowing most of our photoreceptors to do what they were built to do - photosynthesize. Much of the modern lifestyle schedules outdoor activities only at the end of the week when there is time for it, often around high noon when the weather is at its best. We are out of tune with the way of the land. If we danced in line with the rhythm of nature, we would find that our bodies’ intuitive wisdom aligns itself with the nourishment that heals itself. It’s a balanced system, when in natural conditions.

Why else do we see that melanoma rates decrease for those who (without getting burnt) had childhoods spent outdoors? Wouldn’t you find it interesting that melanoma is more common among those with indoor occupations compared to outdoor workers like farmers, fishermen, and construction workers? Furthermore, it is found that solar elastosis, which is accumulated by persistent exposure to the sun, is associated with higher survival rates of those who were diagnosed with melanoma. The picture is bigger than what we are spoon fed. As always, it is worth questioning the status quo, inquiring upon our curiosities, and using our personal critical thinking skills to assess what is the right fit in our own life.

“There is no proof whatsoever that sun exposure causes melanoma… The calculations now in vogue [about the incidence of melanoma] will be shown to have been inaccurate woefully … and that the sun, now incriminated as the major culprit responsible for an ‘epidemic’ of melanoma, will be rehabilitated from its status current of pariah, our worst enemy, to its place rightful, all things considered, namely, humankind’s best friend.”

— Dr. Bernard Ackerman, author and founding father of dermatopathology

Post Sunsposure

You’ve soaked and synthesized and it’s time to go on about with the rest of your day. How do we seal and nourish the skin for optimal sunlight utilization? Firstly, during a rinse off, put the soaps down. If you are able to avoid washing with municipal tap water for the first 24 hours after sunning, it’s recommended. The epidermis has a thin layer of fatty oils that protect the skin and offer anti-wrinkle and anti-bacterial properties. Even the gentlest suds, but surely synthetic cosmetics, can disrupt the process of regeneration in the skin. Instead, grab for high grade soothing and harmonizing essential oils like lavender, frankincense, seabuckthorn berry, and sandalwood. You can concoct a mixture with aloe vera to offer maximum nourishment to the cells.

One thing we can all agree on is nothing good can come from a sunburn. Use whichever methods we listed earlier that are necessary to avoid this damage. However, it happens. We get carried away in the enjoyment of the moment, and we tuned out to our body’s messages. A burn ensues. Nadine Artemis, a holistic suncare educator (among many other titles), recommends using aloe or jojoba mixed with a little peppermint, lavender, and/or seabuckthorn to offer cooling, soothing relief, and speedy healing.

Cooled black tea is another common home remedy for sunburns, originating from Chinese medicine traditions. It’s believed that the tannic acid and theobromine remove heat from the affected areas while catechins repair skin damage. Tea tree oil is an ancient aboriginal remedy which increases blood flow in the capillaries, rushing nutrients to the damaged skin. Aloe vera is probably the most well known natural remedy to sun induced burns and for good reason. This tropical medicinal plant has been effectively used for thousands of years for skin problems. It is anti inflammatory, encourages circulation, hinders bacterial growth, and downright feels good.

so There you have it,

The lowdown on how we have been swindled out of our rightful solar health. Are we meant to believe that our very biology that was not only designed in complete symbiosis with, but also created by, nature itself, is actually at odds with the source of all life on our planet? In reality our cells are optimized to work with sunlight. Intuitively we feel that when the unconscious “mmmmm” escapes our lips, the moment our eyes fall shut and like a flower, we turn our face to the sun. The way your shoulders drop and your bones feel warm and an involuntary deep breath expands your ribcage creating space for even just a moment of presence of mind to connect and feel into your body. It doesn’t have to be a guilty pleasure. In actuality it’s an act of nourishment. Coax your inner child to frolic in the sun. Encourage your children to play outdoors. Although the science can sometimes feel that way, it’s not complicated. On the contrary, it’s back to basics. With a little bit of re-education we can make well informed decisions that best benefit ourselves and our families. Nature is medicine, let’s honor it as such.