Heliotherapy: Benefits of the Sun (much more than Vitamin D!)

Most are well aware that sunlight exposure is a very effective means to increasing vitamin D levels.

Yet, at the same time, we are told to avoid sun exposure especially at midday as it has been implicated in skin cancer, skin damage and premature aging.

The truth is that sensible, non-burning sun exposure any time of day, but at least short jaunts at midday with no sunscreen applied, is critical to health and not just because it can dramatically boost Vitamin D levels into optimal range.

There are many other benefits the sun provides our skin and body that are not commonly appreciated by conventional medicine, and thus, the general public.

These natural treatments using the sun are traditionally known as heliotherapy.

While Vitamin D is crucial in healing and maintaining skin health, the benefits of sunlight exposure go much deeper.

I first personally experienced this when my acne and skin was at its worst. I would notice that during vacations to the beach, my skin became dramatically clearer with no breakouts.

Nothing else changed besides my time in the sun.

In fact, my diet was less stringent and sleep wasn’t as important when I was younger.

To this day, my skin never looks better than when I am in tropical sunny weather.

Healing Properties of Sunlight

A recent client came to my office with a severe case of acne and full-body eczema. We later found out that he also had severe yeast overgrowth.

After three months on an anti-yeast protocol including diet, supplementation and a focus on anti-inflammatory foods and lifestyle, I was sure the eczema patches would start to break up and dissipate.

Unfortunately, this was not the case. Just as I was going back to the drawing board, he told me he was going on a vacation to Mexico.

I immediately was concerned at the thought of the corn and tequila exposure, thinking it could possibly set back his progress considerably.

Our next meeting together, after he had returned, he proceeded to tell me his back had burned from being out in the sun for too long.

Much to our surprise, his eczema and acne had cleared in the areas that had sun exposure, but was still red in the areas that had not been exposed.

Coincidence? I think not.

In fact, Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride MD says in her books that sunburns are actually a method (albeit painful) that the body uses to detoxify itself. The less toxic and more balanced your system (and microbiome), the fewer sunburns you experience even with extended exposure.

It may sound counterintuitive, but sunbathing in moderation can be healing for the skin, although we must consider fairer complexions that originate from places far away from the equator may not adapt as quickly.

There is something to be said for those who traditionally live in tropical climates who have firmer, stronger, smoother skin, with a complexion usually free of blemishes, pimples and rashes.

Today more than ever in history, we have dozens of skin diseases affecting people.

Although there are many factors that contribute to this, including diet, we can’t ignore the fact that compared to all past generations, today we are extremely limited to the amount of time in the open air and sunshine.

The “Sunbathing is Bad” Myth

Prior to about 1950, most people worked and recreated outdoors in the sunlight with no sunscreen or sunglasses for hours at a time. In addition, children spent most of their non-school time outdoors as well.

Today, we wake up to the sound of our alarms instead of the natural light.

We then drive to work in our car and stay in our offices for the next 8 hours, only to leave when the sun is setting, and by the time we make it through traffic and get home, it is twilight or dark.

It’s no wonder the CDC reports that more than half of the general population is vitamin D deficient and millions suffer from depression.

It was only in recent decades that sunlight and sunbathing has gotten a bad reputation in our culture and medical community. 

This conventional “wisdom” flies in the face of traditional practice, where sunbathing was recognized as beneficial in ancient Greece, Egypt, Rome, Assyria, and Persia, among many others.

The natural-minded physicians of this time considered the sun to be “the best medicine in the world”.

Even early in the last century, solariums were common for those with chronic illnesses such as TB and pneumonia with copious amounts of sunlight at all times of the day encouraged for optimal recovery.

Even hospitals featured large glass-enclosed porches or rooms where patients rested outdoors to benefit from full spectrum sun exposure, believed to aid healing.

By the 1920s–1930s, thousands of such facilities operated nationwide, especially in sunny climates like Arizona, California, and Florida.

More Sunlight = Stronger Immunity

Those who practice sunbathing have been shown to have lower blood pressure, regulated blood sugar, healthier cholesterol levels and an increased white blood cell count (higher immunity).

Although I advocate supplementing with whole food sources of vitamin D when needed (high vitamin, unheated cod liver oil being the best of these), I believe we also need to take advantage of the body’s ability to reap nutritional benefits from our natural environment with the sun being a primary source.

Dr G. D. Babbitt, author of the book, Human Culture and Cure, sums it up well:

There is a vast array of forces of every kind, including iron, magnesium, sodium, carbon, and other elements conveyed by the sunlight, but why shall we not take these elements in their ordinary form from our drugstores, and not go to the trouble of taking sun-baths?

Because when these elements are given us in so refined a form, as to come directly from the sun as an ether, or to float skywards and be driven to us by the solar rays, they must be far more penetrating, enduring, safe, pleasant, and up-building to the mental system than if they were used in a crude form.

Harnessing the Power of the Sun

Also known as phototherapy, heliotherapy traditionally refers to treatments that use natural sunlight.

Beginning in the late 1800s, heliotherapy became an important aspect of treatment for tuberculosis and many other conditions of the joints and skin.

In 1903, Niels Ryberg Finsen discovered that UV radiation benefited those who had been diagnosed with the skin condition, lupus vulgaris (a chronic, progressive form of cutaneous (skin) tuberculosis).

He was awarded a Nobel Prize for healing diseases using concentrated light radiation, advancing natural treatment methods for medical science.

He believed that the UV radiation killed the bacteria which created the disease, which is exactly what sunlight has the ability to do!

Benefits

Increasing sun exposure without sunscreen has been shown scientifically to aid in the following ailments:

• Acne, psoriasis and other skin disorders
• Muscular stimulation and relaxation
• Seasonal Affective Disorder
• Reducing body odor
• Boosting the body’s immune system for mitigating issues with autoimmunity
• Reducing bacteria count by as much as 50% from infections
• Decontaminating blood transfusions
• DNA repair
• Irradiating the blood of cancer patients
• Hyperbilirubinemia (neonatal jaundice)

Heliotherapy, which mimics healthy sunlight exposure, has proven to be a successful treatment in many conditions that also provide a wide range of benefits for the entire body.

Plant and animal life is dependent on the sun’s natural light. If we look closely, we see that life is most abundant on earth where the sun’s rays and intensity is the greatest, such as the tropics.

Compare this to the arctic regions, where both plant and animal life here are sparse. The warmer the climate becomes, the more widespread and vibrant life is.

If moving to the tropics is not going to happen for you, fear not.

Any sun exposure is better than none, but there is also near infrared light therapy (NOT red light from toxic LED bulbs) that can provide similar benefits in recovery from a skin condition that is not responding to other interventions (or when being outside is not logistically or seasonally feasible).

More than 400 independent clinical studies have shown that UVB Narrowband lamps are the most effective for the treatment of psoriasis and vitiligo, as well as other skin diseases.

Using UVB light treatment to target skin with the type of UV light that provides therapeutic benefits provides faster clearing and less sun burning.

This is because UVB lamps require no photo-sensitizing agents, which is a great option for those who have light-skinned, as darkly pigmented skin has the ability to block harmful radiation much better.

You may also consider talking with your doctor about a prescription for a UVB based, heliotherapy type lamp, which is sometimes covered by medical insurance or healthcare sharing.

Respect the Power of the Sun

According to The National Psoriasis Foundation, vitamin D, as well as the UV rays from sunlight exposure, can help clear or prevent psoriasis plaques and boost immunity.

The same has been shown with eczema. Overall, we see the healing power of sunlight over and over again, showing evidence of reducing inflammation throughout the body.

As incredible a medicine as sunlight can be, we have also witnessed its damaging effects if we aren’t thoughtful and dismissive of its power.

Here are some tips to help you get the most health benefits from the sun’s rays without suffering the damaging effects:

• Take protective measures internally and make wild fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines, as well as pastured butter a staple in your diet. These provide a nice dose of protective EPA and DHA, but also astaxanthin which protects against UV damage. Green tea has also been shown to be protective, just be cautious of the caffeine if this is something that affects you.
• Wear blue light blocking glasses when using the computer, smartphone, or working under fluorescent or LED lights (make it a goal to switch to a work environment near a window or under incandescent bulbs). Note that only orange or red lenses are optimally protective of blue light exposure. Clear or light amber blue blocking lenses only mitigate 25-50% of the artificial UV exposure from digital screens. Orange and red lenses mitigate 90-99%.
• Keep in mind that quality sleep (which unobstructed exposure to morning sunlight regulates) is crucial for our bodies to have the ability to regenerate and repair damage. A well maintained circadian rhythm is part of a healthy lifestyle and will add to a well maintained and functioning immune system to protect your skin even more.
• If you can, get out around noon to get sunshine (although any time of day has huge benefits). This is the time when UVB exposure is at its peak. At noon, you get a balance of both UVA and UVB rays, and the opportunity to get vitamin D levels up naturally. Remember not to use sunscreen or wear sunglasses!
• Take into consideration your background and skin’s ability to be out in the sun. The elderly, those with fair skinned and who’s health is suffering need only a small amount of sunlight, usually 10-15 minutes at peak hours. This will have a more profound effect on their body than someone who is young and darker skinned, who require more time in the sun to reap benefits. Work your way up to more natural light exposure, adding a few more minutes to each session to make sure you don’t burn. The Vitamin D Council also states that those who are obese may need more exposure for the production of vitamin D. The same goes for people who are darker skinned, with African Americans and Hispanics having the highest risk for vitamin D deficiency than other ethnicities.
• You need more sun the older you get. Unfortunately, most people get less and less sunlight with age. Change your routine to get more if you aren’t getting sufficient exposure (about 6 hours per day outside including shaded exposure [short durations of sensible sunning on the skin for Vitamin D] is optimal according to neurosurgeon Dr. Jack Kruse MD).
• If you’ll be in direct sunlight for longer than 20 minutes, get in the shade, but stay outside if possible while your skin gradually builds up tolerance as the body detoxes.

Conclusion

The more sunlight you get exposed to without sunscreen and sunglasses, the better. This is especially important the older you are.

Even indirect sunlight from an outside, shady location is helpful.

There is a reason so many older adults move south after retirement.

Yes, the warmer weather is a huge motivator, but our natural instincts drive us to get more sun as we age as well.

Of course, you don’t want to burn (a sign of solar-driven detoxification), so go slow and build up tolerance gradually to avoid harm.

While short jaunts at midday provide optimal Vitamin D synthesis via the skin, being outside even in the shade and early morning provides solar exposure that has enormous health benefits to the circadian rhythm, eyesight, and immune system.

While outside, you can boost health benefits tremendously by grounding in your bare feet.

In short, the more you are outside the better, even on cloudy days!

More Information

Skin Icing: Natural Anti-Aging Technique

Why I Get Midday Sun and Take Cod Liver Oil

Gut Problems?  Get that Belly in the Sun!

Eczema Treatment: Avoiding the Drug-Based Domino Effect