Sunlight Exposure, Fever, and Brown Fat
Sunlight includes all wavelengths of light including blue and violent / ultra-violet.
UVA, UVB, and violet wavelengths of light inactivate a wide variety of viruses, but the amount of time that it takes to inactivate a virus varies depending on latitude, season, and time of day when the sunlight exposure occurs. In addition to viral inactivation, exposure to sunlight has an impact on heat production (thermogenesis) in brown fat cells. You see, brown fat also plays a role in circadian rhythms and sleep cycles through its interaction with light.
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Circadian desynchronization is associated with mental illness and higher risk of suicide. Brown adipose tissue interacts with the autonomic nervous system, the endocrine system and hormone levels, as well as the immune system. The immune system is under the control of the autonomic nervous system and the endocrine system and not a system that acts with its own intelligence. Essentially, mood disorders are responsive to brown fat activation.Brown adipose tissue secretes batokines which are autocrine, paracrine, and endocrine active substances. Batokines are signaling molecules that exist as lipids, peptides, or microRNAs. They regulate metabolism, inflammation, and energy expenditure. Batokines promote brown fat heat generation, blood vessel production (angiogenesis), and tissue remodeling while promoting balanced levels of insulin sensitivity and improved cardiovascular health.
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There’s a relationship between sunlight exposure, brown fat cell response, and liver health that we’ve expanded upon in a discussion of psoriasis. Sunlight exposure causes the skin to produce vitamin D and fumaric acid which are both essential for energy production in cells. From the skin, these nutrient-substances travel to the liver for first-level activation. Vitamin D also works with iodine to balance the immune system. Sunlight exposure along with sea water exposure can heal liver and kidney detoxification issues to reduce or completely get rid of psoriasis suggesting that moderated exposure to clean, salty sea water along with mild sunlight exposure during fever could have a detoxifying effect on the body that would promote a better healing trajectory.Of course, during a fever, the body’s natural thermostatic control over heat and cold is in a natural state of dysregulation. Exposing the body to too much additional heat could have a negative effect on the body. So this has to be considered and kept in mind when exposing a feverish child or an adult to sunlight during an illness. Children, in particular, may not have the ability to communicate about uncomfortable internal temperatures which could be dangerous if sun exposure also produces a dangerous increase in internal heat.
That being said, however, sunlight exposure to the skin can be beneficial during a fever as something that has a detoxifying and energizing effect on human cells as long as internal body temperature is not affected.
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Resources:
• Hobday, R. A. and Dancer, S. J. (2013). Roles of sunlight and natural ventilation for controlling infection: historical and current perspectives. Retrieved April 15, 2026 from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7132476/
• Grassroots Health Nutrient Research Institue (2023). How Sunlight Exposure Affects Immune Health and Viral Spread. Retrieved March 26, 2026 from https://www.grassrootshealth.net/blog/sunlight-exposure-affects-immune-health-viral-spread/#:~:text=Sunshine%20Can%20Reduce%20Viral%20Transmission,for%20sunlight%20compared%20to%20darkness.
• Bilbo, S. D. et al. (2002). Melatonin Regulates Energy Balance and Attenuates Fever in Siberian Hamsters. Retrieved March 26, 2026 from https://academic.oup.com/endo/article-abstract/143/7/2527/2989398?redirectedFrom=fulltext
