1. Vitamin D is produced.
2. Melatonin (a hormone that affects mood) is inhibited.
3. Serotonin (a “feel good” brain chemical) is released.
4. Something called “norepinephrine” (a brain chemical that makes you more mentally alert) is stimulated.
5. Photoreceptors in your eyes convert sunlight into impulses that are sent to the brain.
6. Your endocrine system (a system of organs that release hormones in your body) is activated.
7. Your breathing, sleep, blood pressure, body temperature, appetite, mood, and immune system are affected.
8. The cerebral cortex in your brain (which controls learning, motivation, and creativity) uses light to function in a healthy way, as do your limbic system (the part of your brain that stores emotional impressions of the world), and your motor cortex (the part of your brain that coordinates movement).
That is a lot of different processes affected by the simple act of being in the presence of light! Now here’s one use of light as a natural therapy: for the treatment of psoriasis (follow this link for Chinese remedies that could heal this skin condition: https://www.doctorshealthpress.com/general-health-2/natural-remedies/six-top-chinese-remedies-for-this-skin-condition).
Researchers recently investigated whether narrowband ultraviolet B light therapy could heal patients with plaque-type psoriasis, leading to an improvement in the patients’ quality of life.
A total of 95 patients with psoriasis were recruited for the study. The research team found that administration of the light therapy to psoriasis patients significantly improved their quality of life and reduced the severity of their symptoms.
Interested in light therapy? There are many different ways that light may be used in therapy. Get your doctor’s advice about what type of light therapy is best for your particular condition.