A groundbreaking study recently published in the Journal of Internal Medicine has unveiled a remarkable discovery regarding the impact of sunlight on human health. According to this study, a lack of sunlight exposure could be just as detrimental to our well-being as smoking cigarettes.
The research, titled “Avoidance of Sun Exposure as a Risk Factor for Major Causes of Death: A Competing Risk Analysis of the Melanoma in Southern Sweden Cohort,” was conducted by a team of Swedish scientists who examined a population of nearly 30,000 women. Over a span of 20 years, they analyzed the correlation between sun exposure and the risk of mortality from various causes within the Melanoma in Southern Sweden (MISS) cohort, consisting of women aged 25 to 64 years at the study’s inception from 1990 to 1992. Using advanced survival statistics, they made several noteworthy observations.
Firstly, the researchers found that women who actively sought sun exposure were generally at a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and noncancer/non-CVD-related deaths compared to those who avoided sunlight.
Secondly, due to their improved survival rates, these sun-exposed women had a relatively higher proportion of cancer-related deaths. This finding may initially seem perplexing, but it can be better understood when considering that cancer risk tends to increase with age. Since increased sunlight exposure actually extends lifespan, it can create the appearance of an elevated cancer risk. However, it is important to note that sunlight itself may not necessarily be inherently “carcinogenic,” as commonly believed.
Considering that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of premature death in developed nations, sunlight’s ability to reduce this prevalent cause of mortality outweighs its potential increase in the risk of the second most common cause of death (cancer). Consequently, overall exposure to sunlight promotes longer life expectancy, which helps contextualize and counterbalance the often observed “increased cancer risk.” It is worth noting that a significant number of cancers are overdiagnosed and overtreated, with insufficient recognition by the medical establishment, whose responsibility is seldom addressed. These overdiagnosed “cancers,” particularly breast, prostate, thyroid, lung, and ovarian cancers, significantly inflate the statistics. With millions of such early-stage cancers erroneously diagnosed and treated, comprehending the relationship between sunlight exposure and cancer risk becomes increasingly complex.
The third major finding of the study underscores the profound significance of sunlight exposure on longevity: “Nonsmokers who avoided sun exposure had a life expectancy similar to smokers in the highest sun exposure group, indicating that avoidance of sun exposure is a risk factor for death of a similar magnitude as smoking.” This striking conclusion holds immense implications. Stating that “avoidance of sun exposure is a risk factor for death of a similar magnitude as smoking” highlights the indispensable nature of sunlight exposure for our health. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) attributes six million preventable deaths annually to smoking, with the overall mortality rate among both male and female smokers in the United States being approximately three times higher than that of comparable individuals who have never smoked. Therefore, sunlight exposure might possess such paramount importance for human well-being that withholding access to it or neglecting to advise routine exposure could be deemed medically unethical.
The study’s fourth and final observation reveals that compared to the group with the highest sun exposure, individuals who avoid sun exposure experienced a reduction in life expectancy ranging from 0.6 to 2.1 years.
By recognizing sunlight deficiency as potentially lethal as smoking, we can reframe this information positively and acknowledge the Sun and its light as being as crucial to human health as clean food and water. Indeed, compelling research suggests that solar energy drives the cellular bioenergetics of our bodies through processes independent of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production. For example, Gerald Pollack, PhD, the author of “The 4th Phase of Water,” explains how infrared energy from the Sun charges water molecules in our bodies, acting like trillions of molecular batteries.
Sunlight’s impact on cardiovascular health is particularly noteworthy. Infrared-charged water molecules generated by sunlight support the heart’s pumping action, creating highly structured and energized water known as Exclusion Zone (EZ) water. This specialized water may provide over 99.9% of the biomechanical energy required to propel approximately 1.2-1.5 gallons of blood through the extensive network of blood vessels in the average adult body, spanning thousands of miles. Provocative research also indicates that our bodies contain various light-sensitive molecules, such as cytochrome C oxidase, capable of utilizing sunlight to generate additional ATP synthesis. Additionally, melanin, the pigment responsible for skin and hair color, absorbs a broad range of the Sun’s electromagnetic spectrum, potentially converting it into vital energy and even biologically significant information. Even something as common as chlorophyll, found in our diets, enhances the light-harvesting properties of our cells. Recent research has shown that chlorophyll metabolites, reaching our mitochondria through digestive processes influenced by the microbiome, increase ATP production without the expected rise in reactive oxygen species.
Throughout history, advocates of natural health have extolled the virtues of sunlight for overall well-being. While present times have witnessed widespread sun-avoidance behavior, with parents meticulously shielding their children from the Sun and resorting to toxic sunscreens that may promote cancer, a growing recognition emphasizes the Sun as a source of nourishment, energy, and information. It is crucial to understand that sunlight’s benefits extend far beyond vitamin D synthesis. Reducing sunlight’s health effects to a single compound is as reductionistic as claiming that an orange’s benefits stem solely from the ascorbic acid molecule it contains. We are now discovering that specific wavelengths of sunlight activate ancient, genetically encoded programs that are integral to all systems of our body. Sunset wavelengths, for instance, may have played a critical role in our evolution as a species, influencing our hairlessness and facilitating the development of our large brains. This phenomenon, known as biophotomodulation, offers a new perspective on the Sun’s role in human health and disease. Considering that sunlight deficiency is potentially as deadly as actively smoking cigarettes, it implies that individuals deprived of regular natural light exposure may not fully experience the optimal expression of their biological, mental, and spiritual potential. Consequently, daily outdoor exposure to sunlight should be considered a fundamental right and health practice. It is essential to reflect on the conditions faced by office workers, educational institutions lacking windows, night shift workers, and those confined in prisons. In light of these new findings, depriving individuals of sunlight could be deemed a significant violation of their right to good health.
This study serves as a gateway to deeper comprehension of the requirements for true human health, with sunlight deficiency epitomizing the flaws of our predominantly indoor-focused modern lifestyle, which contributes to physical and psychospiritual deterioration. As we unveil new models of cellular bioenergetics that account for the body’s ability to harness sunlight’s various wavelengths, direct daily sunlight exposure may become as crucial a health practice as taking vitamins or engaging in exercise. Conversely, sunlight deficiency or deprivation may be regarded as dangerous and as lethal as smoking.