Sunlight and Metabolic Health: How Sunshine Supports Your Circadian Rhythm and Thyroid Function
Our modern society is more conducive of hibernation than it is of energy, vitality, and virility. I heard a friend say once “If you can’t tone it, tan it” and it always made me laugh, but then it got me thinking. When we think of healthy, vibrant people, what do we think of? Generally, its someone who is glowing with youth and has been kissed by the sun, right? I think there’s a reason for this. Lack of sunshine is a huge stressor on the body. This goes back to our primal ancestor days – lack of sunlight meant danger and sometimes certain death.
Our thyroid hormone and circadian rhythm are actually very closely connected, which is why something as simple as nourishing sunshine can be so beneficial to your metabolic health. Your thyroid hormone actually follows your circadian rhythm and is released at certain times of the day!
Your circadian rhythm is basically your internal body clock that follows the cues of light and dark. This internal body clock ensures that different functions happen at different times of the day (like detox and repair at night vs during the day). If you are not getting enough sunlight, it can actually disrupt ALL body functions – as most hormonal systems do.
A light deficiency can lead to thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) not being released. TSH generally are at their highest between 2-4am and lowest between 4-6pm. Your active thyroid hormone, T3, is highest around 8-10am whereas it’s at its lowest between 4-6pm. These times coincide with the body’s need for a higher metabolic rate (more energy output) in the morning and a slow decline of energy demands as the day progresses to night. This is why you should feel more energy at the beginning of the day, and a steady decline (not a CRASH) of energy as the day progresses.
Another reason why sunshine is so important is because sunshine helps stimulate vitamin D production in the body. There is an intricate system between your liver and your kidneys that, when stimulated by the sun, triggers vitamin D synthesis. You need vitamin D, which is actually more accurately a hormone, for optimal metabolic function. The sun is one of the easiest ways to help unburden your liver and it’s FREE.
We’ve been tricked into believing that the sun causes skin cancer and should be avoided, so we stay inside or when we go outside we put on sunscreen, sunglasses, and long sleeve clothing to “protect” our skin. But let me tell you right now: the sun itself does NOT cause skin cancer. Things that can actually contribute to skin cancer are oxybenzene and fragrance in sunscreen, and a high PUFA diet, which increases oxidative stress on the body. When you go out in the sun, THOSE chemicals react with the sun, which can then lead to skin cancer.
There are some very simple ways you can practice safe sun exposure, enjoy your bare skin in the sun, and not risk damage. Get morning and evening sunlight–this triggers your skin to begin releasing sebum that is protective to the skin. Stop wearing sunglasses. When light hits your retina, it also triggers the release of sebum and melanin which protect your skin against damage. Eat a diet high in saturated fats like butter, cream, tallow, and coconut oil. These are less reactive to the sun, contain tons of fat soluble vitamins, and reduce the instances of oxidative stress in the body. And then of course eliminate PUFAs. We lived through two Florida summers, at the beach most everyday, and we did not burn one time. You need sunshine – stop avoiding it.