BowTied Biohacker@BowTiedUM
The sun is nature's Ozempic, Retatrutide, Adderall, Morphine, Antibiotic, Anti-Inflammatory, and pretty much every pharmaceutical drug you could need
Here's a breakdown of each wavelength of interest to biohackers, and why Big Pharma has to rig the science so you think the sun is harmful:
UVB (280–315 nm)
Peptide factory + Vitamin D
UVA (315 nm to 400 nm)
Neurotransmitter factory, Nitric Oxide, Opsin regeneration
All UV = 5AR/DHT Upregulation, POMC Activation
405nm Violet
Antimicrobial, Microbiome reset
485nm Cyan
Circadian signal/Wakefulness + Drive/Melanopsin activation
630nm Red
Surface repair, CCO activation, collagen synthesis
670nm Deep Red
Mitochondrial boost, Peak CCO absorption, subcellular melatonin
760nm NIR
Transition depth, Opsin regeneration, deeper tissue engagement
810nm NIR
The Brain wavelength, Transcranial PBM, cerebral blood flow
850nm NIR
Deep tissue Joint/muscle/bone, water chromophore
935nm NIR
Extended depth, Water layer interaction, organ support
1050nm NIR
Heat-gated channels, lymphatic support
The POMC Cascade - This Is Where the Real Magic Happens:
UVB light stimulates the POMC gene in your skin AND in your brain (specifically the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus).
α-MSH (Alpha-Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone) - Creates melanin (your solar panel semiconductor), suppresses appetite through MC4R receptors in the brain, increases energy expenditure, has potent antimicrobial and antifungal activity, modulates immunity, influences eNOS/nitric oxide, and regulates cholesterol/bile acid metabolism. Low α-MSH = obesity, metabolic syndrome, immune dysfunction, poor skin pigmentation. This is the anorexigenic peptide - it decreases food desire in the brain
β-Endorphin - Your endogenous opioid. A landmark 2014 Cell paper proved that UV exposure causes p53-mediated POMC transcription in keratinocytes, producing β-endorphin that enters systemic circulation and activates mu-opioid receptors. They showed that chronic UV exposure produced opioid tolerance and that blocking opioid receptors caused measurable withdrawal symptoms. Nature addicted you to sunlight on purpose. As someone who spent a decade on exogenous opioids, I can tell you - nothing replaces the feeling of genuine endogenous β-endorphin production from UV exposure. The mechanism matters.
ACTH - Stimulates cortisol production (gluconeogenic - makes glucose from sunlight)
CLIP - Insulin secretagogue (raises insulin without food intake)
β-MSH - Controls B cells (humoral immunity)
γ-MSH - Controls T cells (cellular immunity) - this is why skin breakouts often indicate problems with beta/gamma MSH processing
When you expose your skin to UVB, you're activating an entire neuroendocrine cascade that:
Lowers leptin by improving leptin sensitivity through the melanocortin pathway.
Leptin resides in subcutaneous fat and its activation is directly controlled by light on skin and eyes. When this pathway works correctly, you get appropriate satiety signaling.
Increases GLP-1 signaling in the brain - the same pathway that drugs like semaglutide (Ozempic) artificially activate. UV exposure does it physiologically. Think about that.
Produces antimicrobial peptides - NB-UVB has been shown to alter antimicrobial peptide expression in the skin, enhancing your innate immune defense
Stimulates serotonin production - UVB stimulates serotonin in keratinocytes while inhibiting dopamine production locally, allowing serotonin accumulation
Generates beta-endorphin systemically - not just locally in the skin, but at levels that cross into plasma and affect the entire body
Upregulates melanogenesis - building melanin, your body's semiconductor solar panel that converts light energy into DC electrical current
