What is the main message of Chasing the Sun?

The main message of Chasing the Sun is the importance of sunlight for our health and well-being.

Who is the author of Chasing the Sun?

The author of Chasing the Sun is Linda Geddes.

Science

Chasing the Sun Book Summary - Chasing the Sun Book explained in key points

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Chasing the Sun summary

Name: Chasing the Sun
Rating: 4.3 (103 reviews)
Author: Linda Geddes

Linda Geddes

The New Science of Sunlight and How it Shapes Our Bodies and Minds

4.3 (103 ratings)

17 mins

Brief summary

Chasing the Sun by Linda Geddes is a fascinating exploration of the importance of sunlight for health and wellbeing.
It delves into the science behind how sunlight affects our mood, sleep, and immune system and offers practical tips for getting more sun safely.

Topics

The Body Medicine & Natural Remedies Mental Health Healthy Living

Table of Contents

Chasing the Sun
Summary of 6 key ideas

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Key idea 1 of 6

What’s in it for me? Discover just how important the sun is to your health and well-being.

Human beings have always had a strong relationship with the sun. Ancient ruins and archeological evidence from all over the world show different cultures performing their own elaborate rituals in honor of the sun. But while we’ve always known that the sun plays an important role in our lives, today we also have an abundance of scientific evidence of just how crucial the sun is to our overall health and well-being.

These blinks bring together numerous scientific studies that show how the human body, like all other lifeforms on the planet, relies on the sun in order to function efficiently. Science tells us that when we remove the sun from our lives, both our physical and mental health can deteriorate.

Jet lag, vitamin deficiencies and the winter blues are just a few of the sun-related issues that can affect us. And the more we understand the reasons behind these issues, the better we can treat them.

In these blinks you’ll learn

why sunbathing was an effective cure for rickets;
how you can combat the winter blues; and
why daylight saving time may be doing more harm than good.

Each of us has an inner clock that coordinates body functions and it’s influenced by the sun.

If you’ve ever found yourself waking up at the same time every day without the aid of an alarm clock, you’re familiar with your body’s internal clock. There’s actually a lot of internal timing going on in your body, which allows its many functions and processes, such as digestion, to run smoothly.

What you may not know is that in each of us there’s a single master clock called the suprachiasmatic nucleus, or SCN. It’s essentially a group of around 20,000 cells that reside in your hypothalamus, a small region in the center of your brain that plays an important role in many functions, like regulating hormones in the body. The SCN coordinates your circadian rhythms, which are the routine, daily processes your body goes through in order to run as efficiently as possible.

In the morning, certain hormones need to kick in, blood pressure needs to rise, and muscles and energy levels need to get into gear so you can go about your day with strength and vigor. Likewise, in order for you to have a peaceful night’s rest, your blood pressure and core body temperature need to decrease at bedtime. For this to happen at the right time, your circadian rhythms need to be in sync with the time of day.

Your body performs a very different set of functions once you fall asleep compared to when you're awake. It is your SCN and circadian rhythms that make sure the right processes take place at the right time.

So what is primarily responsible for setting this internal clock and making sure it stays on time? The sun. When the sun sets and light fades, it is a trigger for our bodies to start easing into nighttime mode and getting ready for bed. And then, when your eyes catch sunlight in the morning, it is the cue to shut off hormones like melatonin, that help you sleep, and turn on the hormones that make you hungry for breakfast.

These rhythms are embedded deep in your DNA and can be traced back to the very primitive cyanobacteria that human life evolved from. Plants also have their own circadian rhythms related to the sun and the daily work that needs to be done. Some flowers, like morning glories, open up at sunrise while others, like petunias, open up after sunset since they’re pollinated primarily by moths that are active at night.

Humans are no different, our bodies depend upon the sun to function efficiently.

Heliotherapy has been used to heal and rejuvenate for millenia.

The ancient Romans and Greeks were convinced that the sun had healing powers. Hippocrates, often regarded as the father of medicine, prescribed moderate amounts of time in the sun as a way to keep health in balance. The Romans used sun baths, called solaria, as a treatment for ailments such as epilepsy, anaemia, asthma, jaundice, and obesity.

For a long time the practice of sun therapy, or heliotherapy, remained a curiosity of the past. That is, until the turn of the twentieth century, when researchers discovered that sun and ultraviolet light could be an effective treatment for tuberculosis of the skin.

Spending too much time under artificial light can disrupt your circadian rhythms.

For much of human history, there wasn’t much concern about not getting enough sun. If you lived in certain parts of the world, like the deserts of Africa or North America, the more pressing concern was more likely getting too much sun.

These days, many of us spend our days indoors under artificial lights, working at a desk and staring at a computer screen. Then, during evening and nighttime hours, there are more lights and brightly-glowing screens. As a result, your circadian rhythms are constantly struggling to keep in sync with the actual time of day.

Circadian disruption may be cancerous and people in high latitudes have different responses to darkness.

According to the International Agency for Research in Cancer, circadian disruption is “probably carcinogenic to humans,” meaning there is significant evidence that it could cause cancer.

Indeed, former US Navy submarine captain Seth Burton believes that the constant circadian disruption he experienced during his career contributed to the cancer that he later developed. In addition to having no access to sun, Burton’s crew set their watches to a day that was 18, rather than 24, hours long, meaning that they were eating and sleeping at different times every day.

Chronotherapy is being used as a treatment for depression.

Seasonal affective disorder is one thing, but chronic depression and bipolar disorder are much more serious issues. Yet there is interesting data that suggests our circadian rhythms can play a role in improving a person’s mental health.

A growing number of doctors and researchers have been treating chronic depression and bipolar disorder with chronotherapy, which essentially aims to strengthen a person’s circadian rhythms.

A lifestyle that adheres more closely to our inner clocks might be healthier than keeping time with the rest of society.

If you understand the importance of circadian rhythms, you’re probably not a fan of daylight saving time, or DST, which disrupts the sleep routines of people across the world twice a year. The collective grogginess that this produces even has a name: social jet lag.

In the German resort town of Bad Kissingen, business manager Michael Wieden has been leading a campaign to get people more attuned to their own inner clock and less obsessed with the clock on the wall.

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What is Chasing the Sun about?

Chasing the Sun (2019) delivers a fascinating account of the sun’s influence on our day-to-day lives. Throughout history, humans have worshipped the sun and touted its restorative, healing properties. As author Linda Geddes explains, science clearly shows that the sun is one of the most important elements of our health and well-being.

Chasing the Sun Review

Chasing the Sun (2019) is a fascinating exploration of the crucial role sunlight plays in our lives. Here's why this book is worth reading:

It uncovers the undeniable influence of sunlight on our wellbeing, from regulating our sleep-wake cycles to impacting our mood and health.
Through in-depth research and interviews with experts, the book presents a thorough understanding of how sunlight affects our daily lives, offering valuable insights.
With its captivating anecdotes and compelling storytelling, the book ensures that readers embark on an illuminating journey, making the science accessible and engaging.

Best quote from Chasing the Sun

Controversial as it sounds, the finding fits with other studies that have associated low vitamin D levels with shorter life expectancy.

—Linda Geddes

Who should read Chasing the Sun?

Science geeks
Winter blues sufferers
Healthy lifestyle seekers

About the Author

Linda Geddes is a journalist who specializes in the sciences of technology, biology, and medicine. She’s worked as both a writer and editor for New Scientist, and has been the recipient of the Best Investigative Journalism award from the Association of British Science Writers.

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