How Sunlight Deficiency Destroys Your Health - With Dr. Alexis Cowan

Summary of How Sunlight Deficiency Destroys Your Health - With Dr. Alexis Cowan

by Shawn Stevenson

1h 31m•November 12, 2025
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Overview of How Sunlight Deficiency Destroys Your Health — The Model Health Show with Shawn Stevenson (guest: Dr. Alexis Cowan)

This episode explores the overlooked, foundational role of natural light (and true darkness) in human health — from circadian timing and hormones to mitochondrial function, appetite, immunity and cognition. Dr. Alexis Cowan, a Princeton-trained PhD working at the intersection of light, mitochondrial biology and biophysics, explains how modern indoor lifestyles, blue‑light enriched lighting, filtered windows, and non‑native electromagnetic fields (EMFs) create widespread “light deficiencies” that damage physiology — and what practical, science‑based steps you can take to restore alignment.

Key takeaways

  • Light + darkness are co-equal zeitgebers (time‑givers) that drive circadian rhythms. Natural full‑spectrum sunlight is the primary, ancestral signal humans evolved to use.
  • Modern indoor lighting and screens concentrate high‑energy blue light and lack UV/near‑infrared (NIR), causing circadian disruption: poor melatonin/cortisol rhythms, worse sleep, mood, cognition, digestion, metabolic control and mitochondrial health.
  • Brightness matters: typical indoor lighting is ~1,000–10,000 lux; outdoor daylight is commonly 50,000–100,000 lux (10× or more difference). Low daytime light reduces serotonin and daytime signaling needed to make melatonin at night.
  • Specific spectral bands have distinct biological roles:
    • Blue light (via melanopsin in the retina) sets the master clock (SCN).
    • UVA (via neuropsin on skin/eyes/sex organs) sets local tissue clocks and affects testosterone/fertility.
    • UVB stimulates POMC → alpha‑MSH, suppressing appetite and increasing energy expenditure.
    • Red / Near‑Infrared (NIR) penetrate deeply and directly stimulate mitochondrial chromophores, improving ATP, mitochondrial water and quality control; glass and LEDs often filter out NIR.
  • Melanin is more than pigmentation/protection — emerging evidence suggests melanin can harvest light and produce usable energy (human “photosynthesis” hypotheses); melanin also absorbs many wavelengths and can shield internal tissues from RF exposure.
  • EMFs / non‑native radio frequencies (Wi‑Fi, 4G/5G, Bluetooth) have non‑thermal biological effects (documented since mid‑20th century): mitochondrial dysfunction, blood‑brain/gut barrier permeability, inflammation and other harms. Proximity matters—use the inverse square law.
  • Grounding (earthing) — direct electrical connection to the earth — has measurable anti‑inflammatory and physiological effects; do it properly (direct to earth, not via questionable outlet hookups).
  • Mitochondrial health is central: heteroplasmy (mitochondrial mutation burden) links to disease. Light, darkness, temperature, grounding, and lower deuterium all affect mitophagy/mitobiogenesis.
  • Practical tools (sunlight exposure, red/NIR therapy, grounding, EMF mitigation, sweating/sauna, deuterium‑depletion strategies) can dramatically improve health when used sensibly.

Topics discussed

  • Circadian biology basics: master clock (SCN), zeitgebers, light/dark cycles.
  • Spectral physiology: roles of blue, UVA, UVB, red and near‑infrared light.
  • Lux comparisons: indoor versus outdoor brightness and effects on serotonin.
  • UVB → POMC → alpha‑MSH pathway: appetite suppression & increased basal energy expenditure (biological parallel to some GLP‑1 drug effects).
  • Melanin’s function beyond pigmentation (energy harvesting, radiation absorption).
  • Near‑infrared effects on mitochondria and peripheral melatonin production.
  • Red/near‑infrared therapy vs. natural sunlight (panels help but are not full‑spectrum).
  • EMFs (radio frequencies, dirty electricity, electric/magnetic fields): history, experimental evidence, non‑thermal effects, inverse square law.
  • Electric vehicles and high EMF exposures (battery/magnetic field concerns) — testing & caution advised.
  • Grounding: mechanism, practical methods, cautions about outlet‑grounding.
  • Deuterium: mitochondrial sensitivity, depletion strategies (DDW, sweating, sun), and performance/clinical implications.
  • Mitophagy, mitobiogenesis, heteroplasmy and maternal inheritance of mitochondria.
  • Practical behavior changes for immediate benefit and long‑term resilience.

Practical recommendations (what to do)

Daytime (prioritize natural light)

  • Get morning sunlight soon after waking (even brief exposure helps anchor cortisol rhythm).
  • Aim for bright outdoor light during the day (midday sun if possible). Target more time outdoors; even 10–30 minutes daily helps.
  • Expose skin when safe (more skin → stronger UVA signals, nitric oxide production, metabolic effects). Use sensible sun practices (short exposures can be beneficial).
  • Prefer outdoor workouts barefoot when possible (grounding + UVA/NITRIC OXIDE + exercise synergy).

Evening / night (protect darkness & avoid blue)

  • Reduce blue light after sunset: use blue‑blocking glasses, dim lights, and switch to red/amber light sources for evening activities.
  • Sleep in very dark conditions (<10 lux recommended). Even low light during sleep can reduce melatonin and worsen next‑day metabolic markers.
  • Use incandescent or warm, true full‑spectrum lighting at home where possible — LEDs with cool white spectra are the worst for circadian disruption.

Mitochondria & phototherapy

  • Use red / NIR panels or saunas as targeted therapies when sunlight isn’t available — they help mitochondria but are not a perfect substitute for full‑spectrum sun.
  • Prioritize natural sunlight when possible for the broadest spectral input.

EMF & dirty electricity mitigation

  • Increase distance from EMF sources (inverse square law): move routers away from living/sleeping areas; prefer ethernet over Wi‑Fi when possible.
  • Don’t carry your phone on your body; avoid laptops on your lap; avoid prolonged close proximity to EMF sources.
  • Use measurable, physics‑based shielding (EMF‑blocking paint, curtains or clothing) if living or working in high‑exposure environments; be skeptical of “harmonizers” without proof.
  • Test with an EMF meter (e.g., Trifield TF2) to quantify exposure before and after mitigation.

Grounding (earthing)

  • Spend time barefoot on natural surfaces (grass, sand, soil).
  • Grounding mats and sheets can help indoors — but ground them properly to earth (run a wire to the outside ground) rather than to an unreliable outlet ground to avoid “jump conduction.”
  • Even short daily grounding sessions (minutes) show measurable anti‑inflammatory effects.

Deuterium & metabolic support

  • Sweat regularly (sauna, exercise) — sweating helps reduce deuterium burden.
  • Sun exposure and outdoor activity may support deuterium depletion via proposed melanin‑mediated water‑splitting mechanisms.
  • Clinical DDW (deuterium‑depleted water) protocols exist (expensive), used in trials for diabetes and cancer; consider as advanced/clinical intervention under guidance.

Quick implementation checklist (first 7 actions)

  1. Get 10–30 minutes of morning sun (face + as much skin as practical) within an hour of waking.
  2. Spend aggregated time outdoors across the day; aim for >30–60 minutes when feasible.
  3. Dim/shift lights to red/amber after sunset; avoid screens or use blue‑blockers for evening use.
  4. Make your bedroom as dark as possible for sleep (<10 lux). Remove light sources and LEDs.
  5. Move Wi‑Fi router away from bedrooms/places you sit for long periods; use ethernet where possible.
  6. Go barefoot on natural ground for grounding; add grounding practices (sheets/mat properly earthed) if useful.
  7. Test your environment with a lux meter (lighting) and, if concerned, an EMF meter; create distance from strong sources.

Notable quotes & insights

  • “Light and dark are equally important — they co‑control the system.” — Dr. Alexis Cowan
  • “Modern indoor lighting and window glass concentrate the blue part of the spectrum and filter out NIR and UV, creating a distorted signal the body can’t read properly.”
  • “UVB triggers POMC → alpha‑MSH in the hypothalamus — this suppresses appetite and increases energy expenditure. Sunlight can do some of what appetite‑suppressing drugs mimic.”
  • “Mitochondrial health is the root of most chronic disease; light and electrical inputs are primary regulators of mitochondrial function.”

Caveats & contested points

  • Some concepts (human melanin‑based energy harvesting, human photosynthesis) are emerging and not yet fully established consensus science; Dr. Cowan references experimental and theoretical work (e.g., Dr. Arturo Solis Herrera) that is provocative and growing.
  • EMF research is complex; while decades of studies suggest non‑thermal biological effects, regulatory and scientific debates continue. Practical mitigation (distance, shielding, grounding) follows conservative precautionary principles.
  • Electric vehicles: Dr. Cowan reports high EMF readings in many EVs and recommends caution/test first. If concerned, measure real exposure and compare positions in the vehicle.

Resources & where to follow Dr. Alexis Cowan

  • Instagram: @Dr.AlexisJazmyn (Dr. Alexis Jasmine)
  • Podcast: Undoctrinate Yourself
  • Course: Quantum U (intro to quantum/circadian biology)
  • E‑book: Quantum Health (covers light, dark, water, magnetism, temperature)
  • Recommended reading referenced on the episode: Robert O. Becker — The Body Electric; Cross Currents; work by Dr. Arturo Solis Herrera; Dr. Doug Wallace (mitochondrial biology)
  • Tools mentioned: Trifield TF2 EMF meter; lux meters; grounding mats/rods; deuterium‑depleted water (Lightwater) for clinical protocols.

If you want a single, practical bottom line: prioritize getting real, regular sunlight (morning + midday), protect evenings with darkness and low‑blue light, increase physical proximity to the earth (grounding), and reduce close‑proximity EMF exposures. These simple shifts profoundly influence circadian signaling, mitochondrial function and metabolic health.