UVB Light is a Performance-Enhancing Drug
And the many ways that avoiding it is costing you.
My #1 supplement in the winter isn’t actually a supplement. It’s UVB light.
The more I learn about health and performance, the clearer it gets that UV light is a requirement for the body to function optimally.
Whether you’re an athlete, 9-to-5-er, doctor…this holds true in every walk of life and performance discipline.
There are three relevant types of UV light, but I’m focusing on UVB here because of its unique properties, and because its typically the most vilified.
UVB is defined as light from 280 to 315 nanometers. It’s the strongest form of light we get from the sun (UVC is stronger but doesn’t penetrate past the stratosphere).
Most doctors and dermatologists would tell you unequivocally that UVB is harmful because its strong enough to break bonds within molecules including DNA, causing ailments like skin cancer.
The research tells a different story.
Rates of chronic disease such as multiple sclerosis, breast cancer, melanoma, and diabetes DECREASE the closer you get to the equator, where UV light is the strongest year-round.
Insufficient sun exposure is estimated to account for over 800,000 deaths per year in the US and UK, with low Vitamin D due to a lack of UVB exposure cited as a primary factor.
Additionally, indoor workers show higher rates of skin cancer compared to outdoor or blended occupations, and incidence of melanoma was highest in lesser exposed areas such as the abdomen.
And don’t forget your favorite Twitch streamer Ninja, who spends virtually all day indoors, got skin cancer…on the bottom of his foot.
The reality is that safe UVB exposure protects against virtually all forms of disease and its positive health effects are far-reaching, beyond just Vitamin D production.
This blog will unpack the many benefits of UVB light and the most effective ways to get it for optimal health & performance.
