What Happens in Your Body When You Are Exposed to Full-Spectrum Sunlight?

Wavelengths of Energy from Sunshine: UVB, UVA, Red, Near Infrared, Far Infrared, and Blue Light from sunshine all have unique health consequences

Key Points

There are several wavelengths of energy from sunshine that trigger specific actions within the body to influence our health; different wavelengths are able to penetrate the skin to different depths and have certain effects on the cells and tissues they reach
UVB radiation stimulates the production of vitamin D, as well as serotonin and beta-endorphins, UVA promotes the release of nitric oxide into the blood, and both have a positive effect on the diversity of the microbiome on the skin and in the gut
Blue light has a strong regulatory effect on the circadian rhythm and the release of melatonin from the pineal gland, while red light, near-infrared radiation, and far-infrared radiation have anti-inflammatory and tissue healing effects; infrared radiation also stimulates the production of melatonin inside the mitochondria for a strong antioxidant effect

The energy given off from the sunshine (aka the solar spectrum) consists of different wavelengths between 300 nm and well over 1 mm. While not all of this radiation is able to penetrate the earth’s atmosphere to reach the earth’s surface, those that do have a wavelength between 100 nm and 1mm, and include ultraviolet radiation (100-400 nm), visible light (400-700 nm), and infrared light (700 nm to over 1 mm).

There are several wavelengths of energy from the sun that reach the earth’s surface and trigger specific actions within the body to influence our health. And, just as some of this spectrum is able to make it through the atmosphere, different wavelengths are also able to penetrate the skin to different depths of the body’s tissues and have certain effects on the cells within those tissues, as illustrated in the graphic below.

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