In our latest update, Professor Roger Seheult, MD, breaks down the latest information on how sunlight affects humans. From how the body utilizes sunlight to manage its circadian rhythm, to melatonin and cortisol production, to getting adequate infrared (IR) exposure daily. Join Dr. Seheult for practical tips on how our relationship to light can help optimize our energy, mood, health, and immunity.
Sunlight: Optimize Health and Immunity (Light Therapy and Melatonin)
The discussion begins with Dr. Seheult stressing the importance of sunlight at a cellular level. He then provides an overview on how the body generates melatonin via the pineal gland and energy via the mitochondria – and also how IR plays a key role in those processes. He also discusses the by-product of oxidative stress which left unchecked, can lead to a variety of health issues.
He then provides an overview of the solar spectrum and the importance of IR to the body on many levels. He goes on to delve into the circadian rhythm (our internal master clock) and discusses how we “align it with reality”. This helps to maintain and regulate melatonin and cortisol production, and potentially avoid problems with sleep, weight, cancer, and diabetes that may occur with circadian dysregulation.
Dr. Seheult then discusses the importance of sunlight exposure as it relates to mood, depression, and seasonal affective disorder. He refers to this study on the efficacy of light therapy in the treatment of mood disorders, and this study that supports the efficacy of midday bright light therapy for bipolar depression. He then mentions this article which covers the positive effects of artificial dawn and morning blue light on daytime cognitive performance, well-being, cortisol, and melatonin levels.
Dr. Seheult then gives some “dos and don’ts” for light exposure. Sun exposure and melanoma risk, and melatonin production in the body during the night AND day is also discussed. He then touches on some of the health benefits of spending time outdoors and living in green spaces such as a reduction in salivary cortisol (a stress marker). Sunlight therapies are also being used to treat various medical conditions including COVID-19, as discussed in this study.
For more information on the topics covered in this video, please see the following links and references:
LINKS / REFERENCES:
The Relationship Between Lux, Lumen and Watt (Tachyon): https://tachyonlight.com/the-relationship-between-lux-lumen-and-watt/
Infrared and skin: Friend or foe (Science): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1011134415300713
Melatonin as a potential anticarcinogen for non-small-cell lung cancer (Oncotarget): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27102150/
The efficacy of light therapy in the treatment of mood disorders (AJP): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15800134/
Adj. Bright Light Therapy for Bipolar Depression (AJP): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28969438/
Effects of artificial dawn on subjective ratings of sleep inertia and dim light melatonin onset (Chronobiology Int): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20653451/
Effects of Artificial Dawn and Morning Blue Light… (Chronobiology Int): https://www.researchgate.net/publication/248396034_Effects_of_Artificial_Dawn_and_Morning_Blue_Light_on_Daytime_Cognitive_Performance_Well-being_Cortisol_and_Melatonin_Levels
Circadian rhythms in the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis (MCE): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21782883/
Reduced cancer incidence among the blind (Epidem): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9730026/
Evening use of light-emitting eReaders negatively affects sleep (PNAS): https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/112/4/1232.full.pdf
Ocular input for human melatonin regulation (NEL): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12163843/
Melatonin and the Optics of the Human Body (Melatonin): https://www.melatonin-research.net/index.php/MR/article/view/19/213
Melatonin in Mitochondria (APS): https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/physiol.00034.2019
Opportunities.. of Fluorescent Carbon Dots (CPD): https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282040732_Opportunities_and_Challenges_of_Fluorescent_Carbon_Dots_in_Translational_Optical_Imaging
The health benefits of the great outdoors (Environ): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6562165/
Interplay between up-regulation of cytochrome-c-oxidase (Nature): https://www.nature.com/articles/srep30540
Red/Near Infrared Light Stimulates Release of an Endothelium Dependent Vasodilator (FRBM): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5699925/
Effect of daylighting on student health (CMSE): http://www.wseas.us/e-library/conferences/2013/Malaysia/MACMESE/MACMESE-20.pdf Shining the Light on Sunshine (Clinical Endo): https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cen.12567
Associations of Outdoor Temperature (JCEM): https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/104/7/2903/5315432?login=true
Relationship between sun exposure and melanoma risk (EJC): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3046902/
Sun exposure and mortality from melanoma (Multicenter): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15687362/
Avoidance of sun exposure as a risk factor for major causes of death (JIM): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26992108/
Interdependence… sun exposure and vitamin D to MRI measures in MS (JNNP): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23385850/
COVID-19 and Oxidative Stress (MedCram): https://youtu.be/gzx8LH4Fjic
Severe Glutathione Deficiency, Oxidative Stress and Oxidant Damage in Adults Hospitalized with COVID-19 (MDPI): https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/11/1/50
Vitamin D Deficiency and Outcome of COVID-19 Patients (Nutrients): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32927735/
Ultraviolet A radiation and COVID-19 deaths in the USA (BJD): https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/bjd.20093
Sunlight (Healthful Living): https://m.egwwritings.org/en/book/388.1702#1702 Photobiomodulation Therapy (PBMT): What is It? (Shepherd University): https://youtu.be/0MMewRIP51M
Stay Tuned for More COVID-19 Updates
Our COVID-19 videos are always available for free (and ad-free) at MedCram.com. In addition, check out our full library of courses and lectures on subjects ranging from Infectious Disease to Sleep Apnea and many more!
Meanwhile, you can find all of our COVID-19 videos compiled here.
Sunlight provides so much more than just Vitamin D: learn from Dr. Seheult of https://www.medcram.com about the myriad of benefits from optimizing our exposure to light.
Roger Seheult, MD is the co-founder and lead professor at https://www.medcram.com. He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Disease, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine and an Associate Professor at the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine.
This video was recorded on January 21, 2022.
All Dr. Seheult’s videos are at MedCram.com (including more discussion on red light therapy, infrared light benefits, what is melatonin, etc.)
MEDIA CONTACT: Media Contact: [email protected] Media contact info: https://www.medcram.com/pages/media-contact
Video Produced by Kyle Allred
Thanks to Amanda Taylor, PA-C.
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DISCLAIMER: MedCram medical videos are for medical education and exam preparation, and NOT intended to replace recommendations from your doctor.
#sunlight #covid19 #melatonin
What Dr. Shulets is explaining in the video is that
- Melatonin antioxidant to neutralize reactive oxygen. Melatonin is produced by our body starting in the evening 9:00 PM and during sleep till the morning 7:00 AM. So, it is important to have a regular sleep cycle.
- Near Infrared light by Sun directly stimulates the mitochondria factory (organism) to produce melatonin to neutralize reactive oxygen molecules which are produced during ATP production.
- 95% of Melatonin is produced by Mitochondria.
- Vitamin D is produced by ultra violet regions of sunlight but Mitochondria is stimulated in Near Infrared region of sunlight.
** Note that oxidative stress means that there are more reactive oxygen molecules than antioxidant molecules such as Melatonin.
** Reactive Oxygens are important for our immune system. Neutrophil (WBC) and Macrophages uses Reactive Oxygen to kill pathogens.
Take home lesson is that we sleep early, don’t look at screens after 8 PM, wake up early to bathe in the Sunlight till the body feels warm. This will improve the production of Melatonin (antioxidant) and help reduce oxidative stress by neutralizing reactive oxygen, thus helping prevent various diseases, including Covid-19 virus and cancer. Below is the link to the video which Dr. Shulets explains the benefit of sunlight in fight against the corona Virus.
Below is the summary of my train of thought to understand the video of Dr.Shulets.
The human body is approximately 99% comprised of six elements (six kinds of atom): 66% oxygen atoms (O), 18% Carbon (C ), 10% Hydrogen (H), 3% Nitrogen (N),1.4% Calcium (Ca), 1.1% Phosphorus(P). Another five elements make up about 0.85% of the remaining mass: Sulfur, Potassium (K), Sodium (Na), Chlorine (Cl), Magnesium (Mg). Trace elements make up 0.05%: Iron (Fe), Fluorine (F), Zinc (Z) and other elements..
There are 118 elements (different atoms) in the universe and 60 different elements are found in our body.
When those elements bind together, they make up different molecules. A cell including a urothelial cell of the bladder is made of water (65%), Lipids (12%), Protein (20%), RNA (1%), DNA (0.1), other inorganics (1.5%), Other organics (0.4%).
Water (H2O), Lipids (CH3(CH2)nCOOH), Protein chain of 20 kinds of amino acid (R-CH(NH2)-COOH), DNA (C15H31N3O13P2) - Adenine (C5H5N5), Guanine (C%H5N5O), Thymine (C5H6N5O), Cytosine (C4H5N3O).
Oxygen atom is very reactive (unstable), meaning that it is missing two electrons to become non-reactive (stable) so it tends to steal electrons from molecules nearby. In reality, there are abundant oxygen atoms in our body so two atoms quickly bind together to become an oxygen molecule (O2) by each oxygen atom sharing two unpaired electrons. An oxygen molecule though it is non-reactive normally, it becomes reactive when it loses an electron. The reactive oxygen molecule now hunts for an electron from nearby molecules, by stealing an electron from a molecule or binding to the molecule. If the affected molecule happens to be a part of DNA of a cell, it may lead to the cell death because the cell cannot divide due to an error in DNA, or if the affected molecule is a key gene related to cancer and the DNA is not repaired and if the cell does not die, the cell with mutated gene will be created and duplicated and it can lead to cancer.
There are several situations in which our body produces oxygens. The main product of reactive oxygen is by mitochondria organisms in our cells. There are 100-200 mitochondria in each cell. Mitochondria is like a mini factory. The main product mitochondria produces is biological energy called ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate). Mitochondria produces ATP by consuming Glucose (sugar) which our body produces by digesting carbohydrate which we eat and oxygen molecules which we breathe in and delivered in the form of hemoglobin – red blood cells. As one of the by-products, Mitochondria produces toxic carbon dioxide (CO2), which will be carried away by blood to lungs and exhaled out from our body.. Also, during the process of producing ATP, an electron(s) is removed from oxygen molecules (O2) to produce reactive oxygen molecules. To neutralize toxic reactive oxygen molecules, our body produces molecules which have an extra electron to give away. These molecules are called antioxidants. .It is important that sufficient amounts of antioxidant molecules are produced to neutralize reactive oxygens which Mitochondria factory produces. Melatonin is one of such antioxidants.
best
As the video is 2 hours long, I have summarized the key points of Dr. SeheultWhat Dr. Shulets is explaining in the video is that** Note that oxidative stress means that there are more reactive oxygen molecules than antioxidant molecules such as Melatonin.** Reactive Oxygens are important for our immune system. Neutrophil (WBC) and Macrophages uses Reactive Oxygen to kill pathogens.Take home lesson is that we sleep early, don’t look at screens after 8 PM, wake up early to bathe in the Sunlight till the body feels warm. This will improve the production of Melatonin (antioxidant) and help reduce oxidative stress by neutralizing reactive oxygen, thus helping prevent various diseases, including Covid-19 virus and cancer. Below is the link to the video which Dr. Shulets explains the benefit of sunlight in fight against the corona Virus.Below is the summary of my train of thought to understand the video of Dr.Shulets.The human body is approximately 99% comprised of six elements (six kinds of atom): 66% oxygen atoms (O), 18% Carbon (C ), 10% Hydrogen (H), 3% Nitrogen (N),1.4% Calcium (Ca), 1.1% Phosphorus(P). Another five elements make up about 0.85% of the remaining mass: Sulfur, Potassium (K), Sodium (Na), Chlorine (Cl), Magnesium (Mg). Trace elements make up 0.05%: Iron (Fe), Fluorine (F), Zinc (Z) and other elements..There are 118 elements (different atoms) in the universe and 60 different elements are found in our body.When those elements bind together, they make up different molecules. A cell including a urothelial cell of the bladder is made of water (65%), Lipids (12%), Protein (20%), RNA (1%), DNA (0.1), other inorganics (1.5%), Other organics (0.4%).Water (H2O), Lipids (CH3(CH2)nCOOH), Protein chain of 20 kinds of amino acid (R-CH(NH2)-COOH), DNA (C15H31N3O13P2) – Adenine (C5H5N5), Guanine (C%H5N5O), Thymine (C5H6N5O), Cytosine (C4H5N3O).Oxygen atom is very reactive (unstable), meaning that it is missing two electrons to become non-reactive (stable) so it tends to steal electrons from molecules nearby. In reality, there are abundant oxygen atoms in our body so two atoms quickly bind together to become an oxygen molecule (O2) by each oxygen atom sharing two unpaired electrons. An oxygen molecule though it is non-reactive normally, it becomes reactive when it loses an electron. The reactive oxygen molecule now hunts for an electron from nearby molecules, by stealing an electron from a molecule or binding to the molecule. If the affected molecule happens to be a part of DNA of a cell, it may lead to the cell death because the cell cannot divide due to an error in DNA, or if the affected molecule is a key gene related to cancer and the DNA is not repaired and if the cell does not die, the cell with mutated gene will be created and duplicated and it can lead to cancer.There are several situations in which our body produces oxygens. The main product of reactive oxygen is by mitochondria organisms in our cells. There are 100-200 mitochondria in each cell. Mitochondria is like a mini factory. The main product mitochondria produces is biological energy called ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate). Mitochondria produces ATP by consuming Glucose (sugar) which our body produces by digesting carbohydrate which we eat and oxygen molecules which we breathe in and delivered in the form of hemoglobin – red blood cells. As one of the by-products, Mitochondria produces toxic carbon dioxide (CO2), which will be carried away by blood to lungs and exhaled out from our body.. Also, during the process of producing ATP, an electron(s) is removed from oxygen molecules (O2) to produce reactive oxygen molecules. To neutralize toxic reactive oxygen molecules, our body produces molecules which have an extra electron to give away. These molecules are called antioxidants. .It is important that sufficient amounts of antioxidant molecules are produced to neutralize reactive oxygens which Mitochondria factory produces. Melatonin is one of such antioxidants.best
