The sun has gotten a bad rap in recent times, but is the sun really the problem?
Generations before us used less sun protection and spent greater amounts of time outdoors being exposed to ultraviolet radiation, yet experienced a lesser risk of developing skin cancer. Why could generations before us handle sunlight (and receive the benefits) more effectively than we can now?
I’ve come to a few conclusions that I’d like to touch on, mainly related to diet and lifestyle choices.
Specific Nutrients
There are specific nutrients necessary for protection from UV radiation as well as nutrients necessary for the synthesis of vitamin D. Vitamins A and E are powerful antioxidants that help us resist the potentially harmful effects of the sun while still receiving its benefits. An antioxidant is just as it sounds – it inhibits or protects against oxidation. This is important because lipid peroxidation, oxidation of fat cells, within and on the skin is one of the main causes of skin damage, including cancer. Vitamins A and E protect against this.
This begs the question of what fats are the most stable and less likely to oxidize when exposed to heat, light, and oxygen in the first place. The answer is saturated fats. Saturated fats are considered “saturated” because each molecule contains all the hydrogen atoms it can hold, whereas molecules of unsaturated fats have areas where hydrogen atoms have been removed; this makes their structure susceptible to attacks by free radicals, including free radicals generated by UVA and UVB. There are two types of unsaturated fatty acids: mono- and poly-unsaturated fatty acids. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are the most unstable and biggest contributors to tissue damage. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are going to be things like canola, sunflower, safflower, and soybean oils, etc. Consuming products like these alter our optimal fatty acid ratio in our tissues. We should be consuming majority saturated fatty acids for the most protective effect; a certain amount of mono- and poly-unsaturated fatty acids is acceptable and will be found in whole animal and plant foods.
The best way to consume saturated fats is the way our ancestors did it: through high-quality animal products like grass-fed butter, ghee, tallow, and fats naturally occurring in muscle and organ meats. When eating these types of foods, you will also get higher concentrations of bioavailable vitamin A (retinol) which we learned is important for mitigating any potentially harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation and necessary for functions of the skin’s immune system.
These foods will also support us and our relationship with the sun through providing cholesterol. Cholesterol is necessary for many functions in the body including synthesis of vitamin D through UVB on our skin. Much of the cholesterol in our bodies is produced by our liver, and the remaining amount necessary for optimal health is through dietary sources. 7-dehydrocholesterol is the raw material present in our skin used for vitamin D synthesis. This is why I recommend avoiding harsh soaps when cleaning your body, especially before going into the sunshine. The cholesterol-containing oils on your skin are there for a reason.
Infrared Light
Did you know that morning light actually prepares our skin for time spent in the sun during the day? It is natural for humans to wake with the sun and spend time outdoors, generally pretty quickly upon wakening. That has changed in modern times with most jobs being indoors and many jobs becoming remote; a lot of society doesn’t even have to step outside to get to work anymore! Because of this, most of us are not experiencing the preparative effects of sunrise infrared light which was designed to protect our skin from more intense mid-day ultraviolet radiation.
Adverse Effects of Sunscreen
Sunscreen is not as glamorous as skincare gurus make it sound, and many sunscreens may be doing more harm than good. I can understand the sunscreen craze in light of society’s overconsumption of unstable oils, harsh skincare products, estrogen mimickers leading to hyperpigmentation, etc., but do we really believe we were meant to block ourselves from the main thing that provides energy to every organism on planet earth? And what is it about summertime that helps people come back to life after struggling with seasonal depression? The sun is surely part of that!
We are meant to experience the sun’s full spectrum of light.
Red light optimizes mitochondrial function, aids in wound healing, and is anti-inflammatory.
Blue light regulates our body’s circadian rhythm which controls our entire autonomic nervous system — heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, hormone release, and more.
UVB is necessary for vitamin D production, while UVA increases blood flow by stimulating the release of nitric oxide; nitric oxide allows blood vessels to expand.
These are vital functions optimized by exposure to natural light.
Additionally, many sunscreens contain ingredients that become carcinogenic when exposed to ultraviolet radiation (including inflammatory oils mentioned above! –be cautious of sunflower seed oil in “clean” personal care items). A common active ingredient in sunscreen, BP-3 (benzophenone-3), has been found to not only block UVB which is crucial for vitamin D production, but to be very hormonally active — hormonally active to the point that male fish have been found to become intersex from BP-3 exposure! This is due to BP-3’s estrogenic properties and estrogen’s ability to feminize organisms. As for humans, we have a very delicate hormone balance. Excess estrogen decreases testosterone production, elevates stress, increases the likelihood of women developing PCOS, endometriosis, and other causes of infertility, and is carcinogenic (linked to both breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men). Estrogen is also shown to be linked to melanoma production more strongly than sun exposure is. You can see how repeated exposure to one of these ingredients increases one’s risk of adverse health effects.
*Other active sunscreen ingredients to avoid:
-oxybenzone, octinoxate, avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate
*Inactive sunscreen ingredients to avoid:
-highly unsaturated oils (any “seed” oils, soybean oil, flax oil, etc.), fragrance, parabens, phthalates, triclosan
*This is unfortunately not an exhaustive list
The best recommendation I have for someone who says, “Well, I need to wear sunscreen or I’ll burn!” is to expose yourself to a healthy amount of sun while your skin adapts. This may be 20 minutes of exposed skin followed by some time under an umbrella, and so on. Of course, this is not always possible, so I’d recommend longer, breathable garments or more holistic forms of sun protection like non-nano zinc oxide and topical caffeine.
I also recommend avoiding sunglasses as light that travels through our eyes is what stimulates the skin’s adaptive response to sun. Search “alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone” if you’re interested in learning more about this amazing process.
If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading along! I hope this blog sparks your curiosity and encourages you to optimize your sun exposure and explore the benefits of the sun.
As always, this is not medical advice. This blog is for informational purposes only. Continue your own studies, and stay sovereign!
Supportive supplements:
MITOLIFE Vitamin E: https://www.mitolife.co/collections/wellness/products/pufa-protect-vitamin-e
Perfect Supplements Beef Liver Capsules (good source of vitamin A): https://www.perfectsupplements.com/Perfect-Desiccated-Liver-p/desiccatedliver120.htm
Both products can be found in my “Products” page on proofofwellness.com
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