November 2023
“Ultraviolet radiation from the sun is good for your health”
By Scott Popp D.C.
Yes you heard me right!
Getting sunlight on your skin is crucial for good health, but it's often overlooked in today's fast-paced and fear-promoting world. Did you know that the more time you spend in the sun throughout your life, the lower your risk of getting sick or dying from various diseases? (Lindqvist 2017)
So why don't we hear about this more often?
Well, it's because there's no industry that can replicate or profit from the sun itself. Strangely, despite all the warnings about skin cancer, our society has become afraid of the sun, and ironically, the very thing we're trying to avoid, like skin cancer, is becoming more common. What your doctor might not mention is that sun exposure can actually prevent most types of cancer, except for two relatively harmless skin cancers, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. Surprisingly, malignant melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer, is not strongly linked to sun exposure. In fact, increasing your exposure to sunlight has been proven to significantly reduce the risk of many other cancers, such as breast, colon, and prostate cancer (Holick, 2007).
It's widely acknowledged that vitamin D synthesis occurs when sunlight interacts with the skin, but what often goes overlooked is the intricate web of effects sunlight's diverse frequencies have on our physiology. This includes the stimulation of not just a few, but potentially hundreds, or even thousands of metabolic pathways. Additionally, sunlight plays a pivotal role in regulating our circadian rhythm, the internal clock governing our sleep-wake cycle. When light contacts the retina, it swiftly transmits signals to the suprachiasmatic nucleus in the brain, initiating a cascade of events. Remarkably, every 90 seconds, our bloodstream becomes bathed in this illuminating influence. Red blood cells and various proteins act as chromophores, absorbing and distributing this light deep within our system, orchestrating the regulation of numerous metabolic processes (Panda & Hogenesch, 2004; Holick, 2007).
The primary distinction between UVA (ultraviolet A) and UVB (ultraviolet B) radiation lies in their wavelengths and their respective effects on the skin. UVA rays have a longer wavelength and can penetrate the deeper layers of the skin. They are responsible for melanin production or the dark color. UVB rays, on the other hand, have a shorter wavelength and primarily affect the surface layers of the skin. The UVB rays are what produce vitamin D3 and stimulate a cascade of other positive metabolic functions (Ichihashi et al., 2003; Holick, 2007).
Ultraviolet B radiation is capable of ionizing or breaking chemical bonds in DNA. That is why modern healthcare is so phobic to this type of radiation. But in reality, it forms a type of hormetic stress that stimulates resilience much in the way exercise does. Almost all stressors in life such as heat, cold, UV radiation, and fasting produce stress that stimulates our bodies' repair mechanisms and end up having a net positive effect. Here is a short list of some of the important metabolic processes that are stimulated by UVB radiation:
Activation of the POMC Gene: One key result of UVB exposure is the activation of the POMC gene. This gene contains instructions for creating different peptides, including melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) (Slominski et al., 1993).
MSH Production: The activation of the POMC gene leads to the production of MSH. MSH serves a dual purpose: it influences the production of melanin, which determines our skin color, and it plays a role in the immune system by possibly affecting immune cell activities in the skin (Slominski et al., 1993).
Stress Response and Hormones: UVB light is perceived as a stressor by our skin. In response, the skin releases stress hormones like corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and urocortins. These hormones help regulate inflammation in the skin and assist the body in adapting to the stress caused by UVB radiation (Slominski et al., 2000).
Pain Relief: UVB exposure can trigger the release of pain-relief peptides in the skin. These peptides act as natural painkillers and may help alleviate discomfort or pain associated with sunburn (Slominski et al., 1995).
Endocannabinoid System: UVB radiation can stimulate the synthesis and release of endocannabinoids in the skin. These lipid molecules, like anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol, are part of a system that helps regulate pain, inflammation, and immune responses. They may help reduce pain and manage inflammation caused by UVB exposure (Di Marzo et al., 1998).
Catecholamines: UVB rays can activate the body's stress response, leading to the release of chemicals like adrenaline and noradrenaline. These chemicals increase alertness, heart rate, and blood pressure, preparing the body to react to the perceived stressor, such as UVB radiation (Tsigos & Chrousos, 2002).
Serotonin and Mood: UVB exposure can stimulate the production of serotonin in the skin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter associated with improved mood and an enhanced sense of well-being, which might explain why spending time in the sun can boost our spirits (Zmijewski et al., 2011).
Melatonin and Circadian Rhythm: UVB light can influence the skin's production of melatonin, a hormone known for regulating our sleep-wake cycle. This helps synchronize our body's internal clock, contributing to proper sleep patterns (Zmijewski et al., 2011).
Nitric Oxide (NO): UVB exposure can stimulate the production of nitric oxide (NO) in the skin. NO relaxes blood vessels, increasing blood flow in the skin. This helps regulate body temperature and delivers nutrients to skin cells. Additionally, NO plays a role in immune regulation within the skin (Zmijewski et al., 2011).
Vitamin D3. This vitamin D3 is then changed into calciferol in the kidneys, which is the active form and is responsible for hundreds if not thousands of other metabolic reactions (Holick, 2007).
Almost all of the sex hormones. One of the least talked about aspects of UVB radiation is the stimulus of the sex hormones such as testosterone (Zmijewski et al., 2011).
DNA repair. Just as ionizing radiation can damage DNA, it also stimulates the body's repair mechanism to DNA. Then the body essentially overcompensates and has a net positive effect on systemic DNA. This may be one reason that Sunshine exposure actually prevents cancer of almost all types (Zmijewski et al., 2011).
UVB radiation is available for only six months at this latitude, corresponding to the time when the sun is on our side of the equator, allowing UVB rays to reach the Earth's surface. As a result, during the fall and winter, our ability to produce vitamin D3 does not happen. While some UVA radiation does penetrate during the colder months, it's at much lower levels and this does not stimulate the Vitamin D production. This underscores the importance of building up your "solar callus" during the spring and summer months when the sun is on our side of the Earth. Throughout evolution, the majority of our vitamin D was produced through sunlight and stored in our body fat to sustain us through the winter. Research indicates that overall mortality rates are lowest when vitamin D levels exceed 60, a threshold that requires substantial sun exposure to achieve. It's clear that our ancestors had to spend much more time in the sunshine to meet their vitamin D needs compared to our current lifestyles (Zmijewski et al., 2011; Holick, 2007).
One can take Vitamin D3 as a supplement, but it's not the way our body evolved. I would argue that nature does not make mistakes and duplicating nature is best overall.
This winter I am using the Sperti vitamin D lamp instead of a supplemental form for production. This was the same lamp hospitals used in the last century to treat rickets in children.
I personally make it a point to spend one hour in the sunshine around solar noon every day during the spring and summer. There are also significant benefits to melanin production that I'm not discussing here. Additionally, it's important to note that tanning beds do not provide adequate UVB rays for the production of vitamin D3. Government agencies and the healthcare industry have been advocating solar avoidance for years. Isn't it interesting that life expectancy is declining, and we're witnessing an increase in cancer, autoimmune diseases, and various other health issues? So, avoiding the sun is a choice with potential risks. Sunshine, in truth, is essential for good health. Get off your screens and outdoors and get all the rays on your skin.
References:
[1] Holick, M.F. (2007). Vitamin D deficiency. The New England Journal of Medicine, 357(3), 266-281. [3] Panda, S., & Hogenesch, J.B. (2004). It’s all in the timing: many clocks, many outputs. Journal of Biological Rhythms, 19(5), 374-387. [5] Ichihashi, M., et al. (2003). UV-induced skin damage. Toxicology, 189(1-2), 21-39. [6] Radak, Z., et al. (2013). Exercise, oxidative stress, and hormesis. Ageing Research Reviews, 7(1), 1-6. [7] Slominski, A., et al. (1993). Characterization of melanocortin receptors from normal human melanocytes. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Basis of Disease, 1179(2),
147-151. [8] Slominski, A., et al. (2000). Corticotropin releasing hormone and proopiomelanocortin involvement in the cutaneous response to stress. Physiological Reviews, 80(3), 979-1020. [9] Slominski, A., et al. (1995). Identification of [beta]-endorphin, [alpha]-MSH, ACTH, and other proopiomelanocortin-derived peptides in human skin. The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 105(1), 43-48. [10] Di Marzo, V., et al. (1998). Formation and inactivation of endogenous cannabinoid anandamide in central neurons. Nature, 372(6507), 686-691. [11] Tsigos, C., & Chrousos, G.P. (2002). Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, neuroendocrine factors and stress. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 53(4), 865-871. [12] Zmijewski, M.A., et al. (2011). What is the optimal vitamin D status for health?. Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology, 106(1), 3-13. (13) Pelle G Lindqvist The Winding Path Towards an Inverse Relationship Between Sun Exposure and All-cause Mortality Anticancer Res Feb 2017
November Programming
3x weekly Big Lift Strength: Wendler 5-3-1 Bench Press, Deadlift, and Back Squat Cycle *Will be the last cycle of Wendler before moving on to… Juggernaut Strength Cycle
1x weekly CrossFit Open preparatory workouts
1x per week Saturday “Competitor” workout - workouts designed for those weekend warriors looking to compete in a local or regional CrossFit competition.
Community Highlights/ Announcements
Team 307 @ Festivus! Congrats to Kristin, Rihanna, Annie, Andy, Tracy, and Jeanette on throwing down at Caliber!
Thanksgiving holiday hours:
Regular Classes Wednesday November 22nd
Closed Thanksgiving Day November 23rd
No classes Black Friday November 24th
Trent Carr will be joining the coaching staff this month. We are excited for him to join the team! Look to see him soon coaching some AM classes.
PR Board: Big month for personal records. We love seeing you succeed and get stronger physically and mentally each month, keep up the hard work.
Upcoming Events
307 ATHLETE YOUTH COURSES
Next session coming in January 2024
More info at 307athlete.comLOCAL COMPETITIONS
Best of the West - Carbondale, CO - November 4th
Turkey Challenge - Superior, CO - November 18-19th
(Kyree, Collin, Cam, Tannar are all competing!)Turkey Trot - Casper, WY- November 23rd
Hypoxia - Butte, MO - December 2nd
Disclaimer
This website does not provide medical advice. The information provided is purely for educational purposes. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for medical advice. Please seek your medical provider regarding any medical condition or treatment.