The Sun Has Been Painted As A Double-Edged Sword
Life-giving, yet dangerous.
Some, especially during the hotter months, fear sunburns, heat strokes, and the risks of prolonged UV exposure on their darling skin.
If it’s not hats, umbrellas, and sunglasses, sunscreen serves as their protective shield.
Together with constantly seeking shade, they often end up underexposed to an adequate amount of sunlight.
Others, when the sky is cloudy, see no point of going outside.
They mistakenly reduce sunlight spectrum to only the orange light that kisses their face, and its warming effect.
Did you know that 60% of the sunlight’s spectrum is invisible to the human eye, offering a ton of benefits?
And, failing to get enough of it, especially during colder months, can lead to sluggish metabolism, depression, and weaker immunity!
But with a better understanding of the sun’s:
- ✅ Composition
- ✅ Benefits of each spectrum
You will see the beauty of this remedy, convincing you of 10 ways to enjoy the sun better.
1. Ultraviolet Light (UV)
UV light is an invisible part of the sunlight spectrum, making up about 10% of the sunlight that reaches Earth.
While it’s a small fraction compared to visible and infrared light, it’s also the least affected by cloudy skies.
This light is famous for triggering melanin production, helping your skin tan and build sun tolerance.
Beyond that, UV plays a bigger role in our body’s biochemistry than we often realize:
(a) UV & Free Electrons Generation
Your eyes don’t just see—they absorb different wavelengths of light, including UV, which influences biochemical processes.
Inside the eye, there are aromatic amino acids—these special molecules act like tiny photon traps, soaking up UV light.
When combined with EZ water (a structured form of water in our cells), they create something called the coherent domain.
This process frees up millions of electrons, fueling essential body functions like:
✅ Energy production – Specifically in the electron transport chain (ETC), which generates adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the body’s main energy currency.
✅ Metabolism & Redox Reactions – Maintain the balance between oxidation and reduction, crucial for metabolic efficiency and preventing oxidative stress.
✅ Cellular Signaling – Electrons influence intracellular communication, which impacts immune system activation and hormone secretion regulation.
✅ DNA Repair & Maintenance – Activating enzymes such as photolyases, reducing mutation risks and maintaining genomic stability.
When we’re deprived of this essential light, our cells essentially work at a lower capacity.
(b) UV & Vitamin D
This is the #1 UV light’s biggest claims to fame. Vitamin D production.
When UV B rays penetrate your skin, they transform 7-dehydrocholesterol into vitamin D3, which then gets converted into its active form by the liver and kidneys.
Why is Vitamin D a big deal? It’s essential for:
✅ Stronger bones – Helps with calcium absorption and bone density.
✅ Immune defense – Supports the body in fighting off infections.
✅ Mood & mental health – Linked to lower risks of depression and anxiety.
✅ Heart health – Helps regulate blood pressure and cardiovascular function.
Without enough UV exposure, your body struggles to produce Vitamin D, which is why low sunlight levels can leave you feeling sluggish and more prone to illness.
2. Infrared Light
Accounts for about 50% of the sunlight’s spectrum, which is the most compared to the rest.
Though unseen by the human eye, it’s the aspect of sunlight that you crave on cold days.
Hence, it’s the sun’s aspect that is felt as heat.
Don’t confuse it with the red light you see on a sunny morning through your curtains; that’s just red light from visible light scattered.
Infrared light is most intense around midday but can be felt moderately in the mornings and at sunset.
It offers several benefits to the human body:
✅ Warming Effect: When Cold.
✅ Boosting Blood Flow: Penetrates deep into the skin, and tissues, enhancing circulation to muscles and organs.
✅ Improving Oxygen Delivery: Better circulation = better oxygen delivery.
✅ Speeding Up Wound Healing: Better circulation = better oxygen and nutrients delivery to the wound, speeding up cell regeneration.
✅ Facilitating Waste Elimination: Promotes sweating, eliminating waste through the skin.
✅ Relaxing Tight Muscles & Joints: This is why infrared saunas are used by athletes.
You now see why you feel so relaxed, calm, and sleepy after good sun exposure.
3. Visible Light
This is the form of sunlight we immediately think about, accounting for about 40% and is most affected by cloudy skies.
It allows us to perceive color and contrast—the kind that makes outdoor pictures glow.
Let’s focus on its other major function: controlling the body’s internal clock, known as the circadian rhythm.
If you’ve noticed that you tend to wake up, get hungry, and feel tired at the same time each day, that’s your circadian rhythm at play!
This clock is regulated by whether your brain receives light to keep the body awake, or whether it doesn’t, signaling the body to prepare for sleep through various physiological processes like hormonal production, body temperature regulation, and digestion.
The brain receives signals from the eyes when visible light reaches them. Although all 7 colors of visible light can reach the brain, special photoreceptor cells are primarily activated by shorter wavelengths of light, with peak absorption around 480 nm.
In short, that’s the wavelength for blue light. It’s dominant during sunrise or sunset.
When you enjoy this light, it signals your brain to suppress the release of melatonin, the hormone that makes you feel sleepy.
This means you’ll stay active for the rest of the day.
As night approaches, assuming you’re not using screens, the absence of blue light allows melatonin production to resume, helping you sleep.
Apart from regulating melatonin, when blue light from the sun enters your eyes, it stimulates the production of another hormone called serotonin, which regulates mood and anxiety.
How Can You Get the Most Out Of Sunshine?
Having just grazed the tip of the sun’s healing powers, science has yet to fully unravel its mysteries on our body.
But here’s how you can make the most of it:
✅ Common Sense – Enjoy the sun like you’re taking a bath. If you have darker skin, aim for about 30-minute cycles of exposure, then take a break. If you’re fairer, about 15-minute cycles will suffice.
✅ Wear Lighter Clothes on a Sunny Day – This will allow the sun’s rays to penetrate your clothing or provide more exposure to your arms. If you’re at home alone, you can even sunbathe with as little clothing as you’re comfortable with.
✅ Try Exercising Outdoors – Particularly in the mornings, transition from 6 am to morning sunlight with some outdoor exercise.
✅ Enjoy Conversations with a Partner – Whether it’s a friend you’ve longed to catch up with, or your significant other, enjoy chatting while walking around your neighborhood during sunrise or sunset.
✅ Your Screen Time Should Be Less Than Your Sun Time – Track your screen time. If you spend more time on your screen than in the sun, consider reducing the gap.
✅ Walk for Shorter Distances – Instead of hopping from building to car, if it’s convenient, stretch out your legs by walking and soaking up the sun.
✅ Sun Exposure on Colder or Cloudy Days – We’ve seen how sunlight can still offer benefits even if it’s not visible in the sky. Schedule time to enjoy it, dressed warmly, of course.
✅ For Glasses Wearers – When outside, try staying in the sun without your glasses to let sunlight into your eyes. You’ve seen its benefits—just bear with the blurry scene for a while.
✅ When Your Room Gets Cold – Before grabbing a sweater after working indoors, it’s a sign that your skin is craving infrared rays from the sun outside.
✅ Open Your Windows and Doors – Let UV light into your room. It not only helps with mold, bacteria, and viruses, but it also warms up your mood. There’s nothing better than a sun-kissed room.
As the light of the sun is light and life and blessing to all that live, so should Christians, by their good works, by their cheerfulness and courage, be the light of the world. As the light of the sun chases away the shades of night and pours its glories on valleys and hills, so will the Christian reflect the Sun of Righteousness which shines on him — 3 Letters and Manuscripts, 1880, Par. 2
