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When the sun shines, many of us think of a good mood and vitamin D. But its influence goes much deeper. In fact, sunlight plays an important role in regulating your blood sugar levels - an issue that is relevant to more and more people with metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance and diabetes. Science explains this effect through the different light spectrums that make up sunlight: red light, infrared, UVA and UVB radiation.
It is particularly exciting that it is not just short-wave UVB radiation, which is crucial for vitamin D production in summer, that plays a role. The longer wavelengths of light that reach us throughout the year are also important. Did you know that infrared light makes up the largest proportion of sunlight at 52-54%, while visible light is around 42-45% and UV radiation is the smallest at only 3-5%? 🌈📊
The complex ways sunlight improves your metabolism:
The different wavelengths of sunlight have a variety of effects in the body that have a positive effect on glucose metabolism: 🔄✨
1. Nitric oxide (NO) as a key molecule:
UVA and infrared light stimulate the release of nitric oxide (NO) in your skin. This molecule enters the bloodstream, dilates the vessels and thus improves blood circulation. This, in turn, facilitates the transport of glucose and insulin to your cells. NO can also facilitate the uptake of sugar into muscle and fat cells by increasing the number of glucose transporters in cell membranes. 🩸➡️
2. Optimizing your mitochondria:
Red light and infrared radiation can penetrate deep into your cells and improve the function of your mitochondria, the “power plants of the cell”. By optimizing the respiratory chain, they reduce the formation of harmful free radicals. This protection against oxidative stress is crucial for a functioning glucose metabolism. 🔴⚡️
3. Anti-inflammatory effects:
Both vitamin D (from UVB radiation) and nitric oxide have anti-inflammatory effects. Chronic inflammation can increase the insulin resistance of your cells - they then react less sensitively to insulin and absorb sugar more poorly. By reducing this inflammation, your cells can work more efficiently again. 🔥🚫
4. Impact on hormones:
The sun also affects your hormonal system. Vitamin D not only promotes insulin secretion, but also the formation of insulin receptors. Serotonin (from UV radiation) not only improves your mood, but is also essential for insulin release in the pancreas. There is also melatonin, which is produced in the mitochondria by infrared radiation. As a powerful antioxidant in the body, it protects cells from oxidative stress, which would have a negative impact on glucose metabolism. 🌞🧠
5. Improving Cellular Environment:
Infrared radiation can reduce the viscosity of cell water, which facilitates biochemical reactions in the cell. There is also evidence that it reduces levels of deuterium (“heavy hydrogen”), which is also thought to improve the efficiency of enzyme reactions in cells. 💧⚙️
6. Stabilization of the circadian rhythm:
Sunlight plays a crucial role as the strongest clock for our internal clock. A disrupted internal clock is often associated with insulin resistance and a higher risk of diabetes. Regular daylight, especially in the morning, helps to stabilize your circadian rhythm and thus has an indirect positive effect on your blood sugar. ⏰🌅
