By Kumar Da | Hopium Health
In Virginia Beach, Kathy Reagan Young starts her day with a shower, a towel, and… a purple UV light box the size of a space heater. She stands nine inches away, goggles on, arms akimbo, and bathes her body in ultraviolet rays for four minutes per side.
Then she goes about her day.
This, in and of itself, is unremarkable—unless you know that Young was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), a condition in which the immune system misfires so badly it attacks your own nerves. It’s disabling. Debilitating. Often exhausting.
And yet here she is—thriving. Working. Exercising. Feeling… energized.
Her daughter recently asked her, “Mom, what are you on?”
Turns out the answer might be: UV light.
A Glow Up, Backed by Science
The treatment Kathy’s using is called phototherapy—
Her MS disease activity score dropped to 1 (best possible outcome). And stayed there.
She says her fatigue disappeared. Her schedule filled up. Her life, for the first time in years, felt like hers again.
And it’s not just her.
A growing chorus of studies is showing that sunlight—yes, actual light—might have the power to quiet an overactive immune system.
Sunlight’s Secret Superpower: Immune Regulation
The skin isn’t just a fleshy raincoat. It’s:
- A neuroendocrine hub
- A messenger to your brain and immune system
- A molecular cocktail factory
When exposed to UV light, your skin produces more than just vitamin D. It makes:
- Melatonin
- Serotonin
- Endorphins
- Oxytocin
- Nitric oxide
- Lumisterol
- Cis-urocanic acid
- Plus a dozen other anti-inflammatory molecules still without names
This isn’t just tanning. It’s signaling. UV exposure tells your immune system to calm down—to stop attacking your own tissues.
From Mouse Models to MS Patients
In labs, researchers have shown that UV exposure pushes immune systems into a more tolerant state. Mice with autoimmune disease got better. Then came small human trials.
In one study led by photoimmunology expert Dr. Prue Hart, patients with early-stage MS received UV light three times a week for eight weeks . Their levels of inflammatory proteins dropped within a week. Three months later, their disease scores had improved. A year later, 30% of the UV group still hadn’t progressed to full MS, while the control group had.
This is not a placebo effect. This is a retraining of the immune system. Like a bootcamp—but with photons.
The Latitude Mystery
For more than a century, scientists have been scratching their heads over this:
Why are autoimmune diseases more common the farther you live from the equator?
In Australia, rates of MS increase fivefold from tropical Townsville to cool Hobart. The same trend appears in North America, Europe, New Zealand, even within countries like France or Sweden.
Researchers used to think it was about vitamin D—and yes, D matters. But mega-doses of D supplements haven’t shown the same benefits.
Turns out, UV light does something more complex than just trigger vitamin D. It activates pathways we’re only beginning to understand.
What Else Could Light Help?
So far, studies suggest UV exposure might benefit:
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Type 1 diabetes
- Crohn’s disease
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Colitis
- Psoriasis (already proven)
- And possibly… depression, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer’s
All these conditions have one thing in common: chronic inflammation.
And UV light seems to whisper gently to the immune system: “Take a breath.”
The Most Mind-Blowing Part
In one experiment, scientists shined UV light on one patch of skin—and saw improvements in other parts of the body.Why?
Because immune cells aren’t local. They’re travelers. A signal in your skin can influence your gut, your brain, even your pancreas.
It’s not magic. It’s biology.
But… Should You Just Go Bake in the Sun?
Not quite.
There’s a difference between therapeutic light exposure and roasting at the beach with tanning oil and bravado. Skin cancer is real. Phototherapy involves controlled exposure, often using narrowband UVB, for short periods.
And no, popping vitamin D pills doesn’t replicate this. The skin is doing a lot more than just helping you absorb calcium.
So What Should You Actually Do?
- Spend time in natural light daily—especially morning sun
- Get your hands dirty—sun damage on the back of the hand is actually a solid proxy for UV exposure
- If you’re managing an autoimmune condition, talk to your doctor about phototherapy
- Balance is key—some sun, not too much
- And yes, wear sunscreen when appropriate
Final Thought: Let the Light In
Kathy Reagan Young didn’t cure her MS. But she found something that gave her energy back. Movement. Agency. And a way to manage the unmanageable.
Sunlight isn’t a miracle. But it might be the most underestimated medicine in your backyard.
So if your grandmother ever said, “You need some sunshine”?
She might have been right.
And now science is catching up.
— Kumar Da & the Hopium Health Vitamin SEA Division
