There are 8 Pillars essential for healthy living and extension of life:
- Nutrition
- Exercise
- Water
- Sunlight
- Temperance
- Air
- Rest
- Trust in God
Today, I will be focusing on sunlight, as discussed by Vitamin D expert Dr. Roger Seheult in a two-hour-long interview with Steven Bartlett on his award-winning podcast, Diary of a CEO. It is a long and fascinating conversation.
Dr. Seheult is a world-leading medical specialist in internal medicine, lung health, critical care, and sleep medicine. He has helped millions understand how vitamin D, sunlight, mitochondria, and circadian rhythms impact disease, brain health, and longevity.
Dr. Seheult states that a very big misconception that people have is that sunlight equals vitamin D, and if you take a vitamin D supplement, you don’t need to go in the sun. This is erroneous. Though supplementing is beneficial, sunlight offers far greater benefits than just vitamin D.
Vital fact: Did you know that just two minutes of morning sunlight can boost dopamine (a neurotransmitter and hormone that plays a crucial role in movement, motivation, and the brain’s reward system) by 250%?
Dr. Seheult shares a story about Henry, a 15-year-old patient who was diagnosed with lymphoblastic leukaemia (a blood cancer). His mother related the story to the doctor. She said that Henry had started chemotherapy treatment for his cancer. However, the medications suppressed his immune system and, unfortunately, led to a flesh-eating fungal infection developing in his left lung. He was hospitalised but kept getting worse; the only way they could control the infection was to remove the lung, which they did.
Shortly after, Henry’s health began to decline rapidly, and the infection quickly moved to his right lung. The doctors informed the family that he had two days to live, and the teen was asked to make a wish. When he requested to go outside, everyone cooperated.
Three times per day, the medical team had been using a device on Henry called a Firefly. For five minutes at a time, the gadget radiated light at different wavelengths, and this was expected to help him heal, but it wasn’t helping much.
At the end of the first day outdoors in the sun, Henry’s white blood cell count (a blood test measuring the total number of infection-fighting white blood cells – leukocytes – in the blood) began to reduce, indicating that the present infection was clearing up, plus he was requiring less oxygen. By day five, to everyone’s amazement, the infection in the teen’s lung was 60-70% gone when they did a CT scan! After six months, Henry was discharged from the hospital!
This caused the doctors to look seriously at the undeniable benefits of sunlight. Dr. Seheult also disclosed that studies have shown that patients beside a window in a hospital are more likely to be discharged faster.
What do you think? Should patients be taken outside to get the benefits of sunlight?
Vital Fact: Did you know that during the Covid-19 pandemic, persons with higher levels of Vitamin D had a higher survival rate?
Most diseases are rooted in mitochondrial dysfunction, which has to do with aging. The mitochondria is the powerhouse of our cells, but as we age, starting in early to mid-adulthood (around age 25-30), the power of this battery drops by 70% and metabolism slows down.
In a 2019 study, done by Russell Writer (executive editor of Melatonin Research, University of Texas) and Scott Zimmerman (a light engineer), it was stated that when the sun is shining, you are getting the entire biological spectrum of its rays: the longest wavelength, which is full infra-red (an invisible light toward the red end of the spectrum of sunlight) to the shortest wavelength, which is Ultraviolet B that makes Vitamin D.
Infrared radiation from the sun causes an effect on our mitochondrial level in terms of oxidative stress. According to Zimmerman, infrared light or red light can penetrate the skin very deeply, probably up to about 8 centimeters. Fundamentally, it interacts specifically with the mitochondria which makes melatonin. This melatonin is a powerful antioxidant that basically prevents oxidative stress from occurring. The more melatonin we have, the less oxidative stress causes destruction of the mitochondria. Therefore, less melatonin, equals higher oxidative stress levels which ultimately lead to an increased risk of diseases like diabetes and dementia.
Vital fact: Did you know that infrared light from the sun is able to stimulate and regulate melatonin which prevents diseases like dementia, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes?
Takeaway from Dr. Seheult: Try to get 15 minutes in the sun every day, especially just as the sun is coming up, and in the evening when the sun is going down. More infrared light is released at these times (and ultraviolet light that can damage your skin is less). This will activate a switch in your body that improves your mitochondrial function which, invariably, will positively impact different parts of your overall health and well-being.
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“Vitamin D Expert: The Fastest Way To Dementia & The Big Lie About Sunlight!” – Diary of a CEO, Youtube
Kaydia Barrett is a born-again Believer who has been saved since her high school days in Kingston, Jamaica. Decades later,the budding entrepreneur has not changed much in looks or in spirit.
