You're Supposed To Be Addicted To Sunlight

The shocking mechanism behind our urge to tan and be outside

With all the discussion today about mental health, sunlight needs to be a serious and foundational part of the conversation.

There’s a strong reason why everybody (or at least I’d hope so) loves sunlight and sunbathing, regardless of the propaganda campaign against it.

This taps into a level of human biology that cannot be denied.

Evolution has biologically driven you to become addicted to sunlight.

I firmly believe it’s a necessary component to crushing anxiety and depression through the endogenous stimulation of something called beta-endorphin.

UV Light & Beta-Endorphin

Cue this study done in Cell.

This was a UV-exposure mouse model.

Dorsally shaved mice received a dose of 50 mJ/cm2 of UVB 5 days per week for 6 weeks ~ equal to 20–30 minutes of midday sun exposure in Florida during the summer for a fair-skinned person of average tanning ab…