20 circadian principles that will improve your quality of life, no matter your age or circumstance 1. Watch sunrise every AM

If you don’t have a clear view of the sun and horizon, don’t worry

Merely being outside at this time is enough because the outdoor environment is bathed in the sun’s full spectrum at all times

What matters more for the prevention of cancer (especially melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer)..

Circadian biology or food?

Here’s a thread for the people who are convinced that diet is a more powerful intervention

If this resonates, share the thread

I’m proud of it I’ll begin by saying that every pillar of health must be in order to PREVENT cancer

Light environment, nutrition, detoxification, exercise, all of it is a key part of the discussion

You should strive to have a well-rounded lifestyle

1. I’m not saying you can eat like shit and get away with it

2. I am speaking on prevention of cancer, not treatment when you have been diagnosed with a form of cancer

3. There are hundreds of different cancer types that act differently when they manifest. Brother @AbudBakri can correct me on anything I’ve missed or may have gotten wrong

I already know many of you are going to attack this thread based on those points, which is why I’ve addressed them directly

A comprehensive rebuttal to @bryan_johnson video on why he avoids the sun. Read all of it below I have already humbled @hubermanlab

Now, it’s time to humble Bryan who is the poster child of hyper-reductionist ideas as it relates to health

https://twitter.com/zaidkdahhaj/status/1825636040193060943

A comprehensive rebuttal to @hubermanlab recent episode on skin health as it relates to sunlight exposure and skin cancer

You’ll be surprised by this one

Read it all below

Timestamp (50:20)

I appreciate Dr. Teo’s perspective starting at this point because he doesn’t throw the baby out with the bath water like other dermatologists

I disagree with his standpoint that you can get enough D3 synthesis by exposing your arms or a single body part only

I’m always a believer in more skin in the game for various reasons like the development of melanin systemically and locally

Dr. Teo didn’t cover anything about melanin production as it relates to people’s skin tolerance here

All mammals can develop more melanin with a wise approach to building a tan

From red heads to darker skinned people via either pheomelanin or eumelanin

I keep saying that circadian biology touches and influences every aspect of health

Here, we have a fantastic example of this with breastfeeding and its circadian aligning benefits on infants

This realm never ceases to amaze me

Another reason why Enzo is an absolute UNIT 🦍

The undeniable evidence that your mitochondria are light-sensing organelles which use the sun’s full spectrum for energy production

Here’s what will put those who speak ill of the sun to shame

Let’s start with the basics

Your body evolved to be under the sun’s full light spectrum, which is why every aspect of it is designed to sense and use light

How can I prove this?

Because we have chromophores all over the exterior and interior of our bodies

Chromophores are molecules or parts of molecules responsible for the color of compounds

They are typically the parts of a molecule that absorb visible light or ultraviolet light, leading to electronic transitions

When a chromophore absorbs light, it moves to an excited state, and the energy associated with this transition often falls within the visible spectrum, which is why we perceive color

So, how does this tie into the mitochondria?

Well, each mitochondrion in your body contains a series of complexes which are designed to transfer electrons through redox reactions to produce energy (ATP)

This chain of complexes is what we call the electron transport chain, and it’s found within the inner mitochondrial membrane

Mitochondria are the lifeblood of each cell, hence they make all the difference between health and disease, life and death

It ties in perfectly because of this fact:

The entire electron transport chain is LOADED with chromophores which are critical to the function of these complexes

Now here’s where it gets fun

I told you that your mitochondria are light-sensing organelles

Now here’s why

⚡️ Complex I (NADH:Ubiquinone Oxidoreductase)

• Flavin Mononucleotide (FMN): Absorbs light at around 370 nm (UV) and 450 nm (blue light)

• Iron-Sulfur Clusters: These clusters have broad absorption, typically in the 400-600 nm range, but they don’t have distinct peaks like other chromophores

⚡️ Complex II (Succinate:Ubiquinone Oxidoreductase)

• Flavin Adenine Dinucleotide (FAD): Absorbs at around 370 nm (UV) and 450 nm (blue light)

• Iron-Sulfur Clusters: Similar to Complex I, absorption is broad and typically in the 400-600 nm range

⚡️ Complex III (Cytochrome bc1 Complex)

• Cytochrome b:

- bL (low potential form): Absorbs at around 563 nm (yellow-green)

- bH (high potential form): Absorbs at around 566 nm (yellow-green)

• Cytochrome c1: Absorbs at around 552 nm

• Rieske Iron-Sulfur Protein (2Fe-2S cluster): Absorption is broad, typically between 400-500 nm

⚡️ Complex IV (Cytochrome c Oxidase)

• Cytochrome a: Absorbs at ~ 605 nm

• Cytochrome a3: Absorbs at ~ 655 nm

Both orange and red light absorbed here

• Copper Centers (CuA and CuB): These centers absorb broadly in the visible region, but their exact absorption properties are less defined than the heme chromophores

⚡️ Additional Chromophores in the ETC

Ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q): Ubiquinone itself is not strongly absorbing in the visible spectrum but does have weak absorption peaks in the UV range, around 275-290 nm

Biophoton emission right there

⚡️ Cytochrome c (Mobile Carrier)

Cytochrome c has an absorption wavelength of ~ 550 nm (in reduced form)

Now here’s the million dollar question

Why does the entire electron transport chain sense various wavelengths of light from the sun at extreme precision?

I want to see the look on every physician, dermatologist, and ophthalmologist’s face when they’re shown this information

The overall absorption range of the chromophores within the electron transport chain is between ~ 200 nm to ~ 900 nm

From extremely low-frequency UV light (biophotons) to NIR light

Any argument against sunlight exposure or the use of sunglasses, sunscreen, sun-avoidance is hereby deemed as retarded knowing this information

This is especially the case because mitochondria control the health of every cell and are found everywhere in the body

I rest my case

This is the final blow to centralized dermatology

In their own journals, they admit the following:

“UVA has been shown to be mutagenic in cultured cells”

In vitro (using cell cultures) is next to meaningless. In vivo (within the organism) gives a more accurate representation of the truth, but even then there are major limitations

“To induce skin cancers in hairless albino mice”

That’s precisely the issue with centralized science on this subject. They use isolated UV on nocturnal animals that are often ALBINO. Come on now. This is laughable”

“More significantly, a causal relationship between artificial UVA baths for cosmetic or medical purposes and a substantial increase in human melanomas has recently been demonstrated epidemiologically”

Epidemiological data is merely observational data. Poor level of evidence. But the main point is that they’re talking about isolated UV-A or UV-B, which is the case in tanning beds and booths

“Much of our knowledge about solar radiation effects comes from experiments with monochromatic UV. Consequently, the additive, synergistic, or antagonistic interactions between the different solar wavelengths have been largely overlooked”

They literally admit that their research and the worldview which stems from it uses isolated UV light rather than the full light spectrum 😂


“The incidence of skin cancer detected in human populations submitted to high levels of solar radiation seems to be less than what would be expected taking into account the amount of damage inflicted on cellular DNA by solar UV fluence and the repair capability of the cells”

“This means that (1) the solar UV damaging potential has been overestimated, (ii) the repair potential of the cells has been underestimated, or (iii) the effects of UV in a polychromatic light beam are not the same as those of monochromatic UV, due to as yet unknown antagonistic effects”

What a paragraph

Red and infrared light is the protective mechanism that allows UV and blue light to act as hormetic stressors

Oops, just destroyed the entire foundation that dermatology uses to justify their sun-avoidance and protection recommendations

More evidence below





They’re seething right now

My breakdown of @hubermanlab recent episode on skin health as it specifically relates to sunlight

1. He talks about how UV light causes cellular damage, but he doesn’t understand that this form of stress is a hormetic stress

Why?

Because UV light is always packaged with the other light wavelengths from the full light spectrum, especially red and infrared which protect cells accordingly

Huberman, are you not aware that 50-55% of the sun’s spectrum outside of morning and evening light consists of red and infrared?

No mention of how all aromatic amino acids absorb UV light or biophotons either

No differentiation between UV-A and UV-B, including their distinct and common benefits

2. “Sun exposure will disrupt the collagen and elastin composition of your skin in a way that makes it appear as if you’re aging faster”

Is that why red and infrared light from the sun significantly stimulates the production of collagen, elastin, hyaluronic acid, filaggrin, and urocanic acid?

I get more sunlight during high UV index conditions than anybody out there and routinely get comments on my skin complexion

But what do I also do?

🌞Prime most skin with AM sunlight
🌞Block artificial light during the day
🌞Block artificial light after sunset
🌞Never get sunlight through glass
🌞Never any sunglasses, sunscreen
🌞Excellent sleep
🌞No food after sunset

3. “Some sun exposure is healthy for us”

Firstly, this is vague

Secondly, it doesn’t account for the fact that all mammals can build more melanin with the right framework around light, which gives them more leverage for sun exposure

Melanin blocks 99% of all UV

It’s Mother Nature’s sunscreen

I have plenty of receipts from red heads and light skinned folk that can spend a long time under high UV index conditions without burning and only positive health outcomes

4. “Excessive sun exposure can increase the propensity for certain skin cancers”

This might be true

The literature shows a link between sunlight exposure and squamous/basal cell carcinoma

But here’s the catch

It’s based on epidemiological data

Aka observational research

The literature does not show any link between sunlight exposure and melanoma

5. “You don’t need a sunburn for the sun to accelerate the aging appearance of your skin”

False

Again, we go back to red and infrared light being the balancing force to UV and blue that stimulates collagen, elastin, hyaluronic acid, filaggrin, and urocanic acid

I do not advocate for sunburns (duh)

6. “Even if you wear sunscreen or a physical barrier, it can still have a postive effect on your Vitamin D levels

This is blatantly wrong

UV-B is the only light wavelength responsible for Vitamin D3 production

Huberman is saying that other wavelengths benefit a positive influence on the Vitamin D pathway

Nope

What do you think happens when you use a sunscreen that is designed to block UV-A and UV-B?

You block your body’s ability from synthesizing D3 because you’re literally repelling UV-B from the skin and starting the complex conversion process

Focusing on D3 from supplementation or food is a fool’s game. Food barely offers any D3, and the work of Dr. Alexander Wunsch makes it clear that the pathway via the Vitamin D binding protein from direct sun exposure makes all the difference

7. As per the sunscreen discussion

Clothing and shade are your acute sunscreens when you’ve had enough sunlight exposure

Melanin production is your most sustainable and long term sunscreen

No discussion of the artificial manipulation of the full light spectrum

No discussion on the potential for concentrating blue light onto the skin while blocking red/infrared/UV with modern options

No discussion of preventing melanin production which is a disaster. UV-A and UV-B are responsible for melanin production

No discussion of the neuroectoderm

No discussion of the POMC system 8. Isn’t it interesting how Huberman cites the following tools for skin health and youthfulness:

• Collagen
• Hyaluronic acid
• Phototherapy (Red and NIR light)

* He didn’t mention filaggrin and urocanic acid which have protective and moisturizing components to the skin

Guess what produces the skin’s most powerful components?

The sun’s light at all times, especially in the morning and evening due to Rayleigh Scattering

9. What I find problematic as well is that Huberman doesn’t mention anything about the circadian foundation of the skin

Non-visual photoreceptors (light sensing proteins) are found within the skin

The skin follows a circadian clock

All of this plays a massive role when it comes to the health and youthfulness of your skin

Some things I’ve learned from reading Robert O. Becker’s book, The Body Electric

Here are some gems for you:

Bone is the only aspect of the body that truly regenerates, rather than heals

There a massive difference between the two processes from a biophysics standpoint

Within the human body, chromophores and light-absorbing compounds are found in various biomolecules that play crucial roles in biological processes

Here are some key chromophores that disprove, by their very existence, that the ‘sunlight bad’ narrative is grossly flawed:

1. Hemoglobin: The heme group in hemoglobin contains an iron atom within a porphyrin ring, which absorbs light and gives blood its red color

2. Melanin: A polymer found in the skin, hair, and eyes that provides coloration and protection against UV radiation

3. Retinal: A derivative of vitamin A that is a key component of the visual pigments in the retina, crucial for vision

4. Bilirubin: A breakdown product of hemoglobin that gives a yellow color to bruises and jaundice

5. Cytochromes: Proteins involved in electron transport and cellular respiration, containing heme groups that absorb light

6. Flavins: Found in flavoproteins, these are involved in various biochemical processes and have light-absorbing properties

7. Pterins: Pigments found in various tissues that can absorb light, playing roles in pigmentation and other functions

8. Porphyrins: These are a group of organic compounds, many of which are precursors to heme. They play roles in oxygen transport and storage

9. Carotenoids: These are pigments found in the diet (like beta-carotene) and can be converted to vitamin A in the body, contributing to coloration and antioxidant properties

10. Urobilin: A bile pigment resulting from the breakdown of bilirubin, contributing to the yellow color of urine

11. Lipofuscin: A pigment that accumulates in aging cells, sometimes referred to as “age pigment,” and is associated with oxidative stress

12. Tryptophan and its Metabolites: Tryptophan, an amino acid, and its metabolites such as kynurenine and serotonin, have light-absorbing properties

13. NADH and NADPH: Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (phosphate), involved in cellular metabolism, has light-absorbing properties due to its role in redox reactions

14. FAD (Flavin Adenine Dinucleotide): Another coenzyme involved in redox reactions, which absorbs light

15. Riboflavin (Vitamin B2): A vitamin that acts as a precursor to coenzymes like FAD and FMN, and has light-absorbing properties

16. Protoporphyrin IX: An intermediate in heme synthesis that fluoresces under certain conditions

17. Coenzyme Q10 (Ubiquinone): An important component of the electron transport chain, it absorbs light due to its quinone structure

18. All-trans Retinoic Acid: A metabolite of vitamin A involved in cell growth and differentiation, which has light-absorbing properties

19. Catecholamines (Dopamine, Epinephrine, Norepinephrine, etc): Neurotransmitters with aromatic benzene ring structures that absorb light

20. Cofactors like Biopterin: Involved in the synthesis of neurotransmitters and have chromophoric properties

21. Bilirubin Derivatives (e.g., Urobilinogen): Other products of bilirubin metabolism that contribute to the color of excretions

22. Phytoene and Phytofluene: Carotenoid precursors that, though more commonly discussed in plants, can be found in the human body due to diet and have UV-absorbing properties

23. Polyamines (examples being Spermine and Spermidine): While not primarily chromophores, these compounds can interact with light in complex ways due to their roles in cellular functions

24. Collagen: The main structural protein in the extracellular space, its cross-linked structure can exhibit autofluorescence

25. Elastin: Another structural protein in connective tissue that can exhibit autofluorescence under certain conditions

26. Phospholipids: Components of cell membranes that can exhibit light-absorbing properties when conjugated with other molecules

27. Neopterin: A marker of immune system activation that fluoresces under UV light

CONTINUED BELOW 28. Histamine: Though primarily known for its role in immune response, it has a light-absorbing imidazole ring

29. Biliverdin: A green bile pigment, which is a direct precursor to bilirubin

30. Fluorophores in Glycation End Products: Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) that accumulate in tissues over time can exhibit fluorescence

31. Vitamin D Metabolites: Such as 25-hydroxyvitamin D and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, which are involved in calcium regulation and can absorb light

32. Lipid Peroxidation Products: Such as malondialdehyde, which can form chromophoric adducts with proteins and nucleic acids

33. Anthranilic Acid: A metabolite of tryptophan that has light-absorbing properties

34. Folic Acid: A B vitamin with a pteridine ring structure that absorbs light

35. Steroid Hormones: Such as cortisol and testosterone, which have conjugated ring structures capable of absorbing light

36. Cholesterol Derivatives: Such as oxysterols, which can form chromophores under certain conditions

37. Vitamin K Derivatives: Involved in blood clotting and have light-absorbing properties

38. Nucleic Acids: DNA and RNA, which absorb UV light due to their nucleotide bases

39. Glycogen-related Compounds: Glycogen and its metabolites can have light-interacting properties in certain contexts

40. Sulfhemoglobin: A variant of hemoglobin containing sulfur, which gives blood a greenish color when present

41. Methemoglobin: An oxidized form of hemoglobin that absorbs light differently and gives blood a brownish color

42. Myoglobin: A heme-containing protein in muscle tissue that stores oxygen and absorbs light

43. Phylloquinone (Vitamin K1): A form of vitamin K involved in blood clotting, with light-absorbing properties

44. Thyroid Hormones (e.g., Thyroxine, Triiodothyronine): These hormones, derived from tyrosine, have light-absorbing properties

45. Folate Metabolites: Such as tetrahydrofolate, involved in one-carbon metabolism and absorbing light

46. Histidine and its Metabolites: An amino acid with a light-absorbing imidazole ring

47. Methionine and its Sulfoxides: An amino acid that, when oxidized, can form light-absorbing compounds

48. Cysteine and Cystine: Amino acids containing sulfur, which can form disulfide bonds and absorb light

49. Peptide Bonds: The bonds between amino acids in proteins, which can absorb light in the UV range

50. Conjugated Linoleic Acid: A type of fatty acid that can absorb light due to its conjugated double bonds

51. Phosphocreatine: A molecule involved in energy storage in muscle cells that can absorb light

52. Pyridoxal Phosphate (Vitamin B6): A coenzyme involved in amino acid metabolism with light-absorbing properties

53. Biotin: A vitamin involved in carboxylation reactions that has light-absorbing properties

54. Hydroxylated Estrogens: Metabolites of estrogen that can absorb light due to their aromatic structure

55. Insulin and other Peptide Hormones: Though not chromophores themselves, they can be labeled with chromophores for research purposes

56. Nitric Oxide Synthase Cofactors: Such as tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), which absorb light

57. Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) Indicators: Compounds that change color or fluorescence in the presence of ROS

58. Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) Products: Involved in the detoxification of superoxide radicals, with light-absorbing properties

59. Catalase: An enzyme that catalyzes the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, with light-absorbing heme groups

60. Peroxiredoxins: Enzymes that reduce peroxides and have light-absorbing properties when oxidized

61. Thioredoxin: A protein involved in redox reactions, with light-absorbing properties when interacting with NADPH

62. Pyruvate: An end product of glycolysis that can absorb light under certain conditions

CONTINUED BELOW

As a sequel to the heliotherapy thread I wrote, here is a thread of archived pictures from Auguste Rollier’s heliotherapy clinic in Leysin, Switzerland

Your dermatologist doesn’t know about this

It’s another piece of evidence to prove that the sun doesn’t cause skin cancer An ideal location for heliotherapy in the heart of Switzerland at high altitude which allows for more UV light

Melatonin isn’t just a hormone of darkness

It’s also a hormone of sunlight

Here’s everything I’ve learned so far in my study of endogenous melatonin as a circadian hormone

MELATONIN & NIR LIGHT THREAD Melatonin is a derivative of the essential amino acid tryptophan

It’s a multifunctional antioxidant that lives and dies by the light and dark cycle

What does that mean?

Without circadian health, you destroy your ability to make melatonin because it’s a circadian hormone

The Solar Callus Guide

A definitive resource that will put most medical professionals who don’t believe in this concept to shame

(You’ll also get a practical framework on how to develop it with sunlight)

SOLAR CALLUS THREAD You hear ‘solar callus’ all the time

I’ve mentioned it often in my work

But the question remains..

What is it?

Here’s the shocker:

It’s a TAN

10 days of taking BPC-157

The gastric peptide that everybody is raving about in the health space

BPC-157 EXPERIENCE THREAD

During this period, I’m taking 1,000 mcg of BPC-157 daily

Main goal: Improve gut function, heal leaky gut, heal the last bit of psoriasis I’m dealing with

I’m not dealing with any injuries, but will be training a lot more to experience the recovery benefits

You’re told the sun causes cancer

You’re told that UV light is dangerous

But explain why centralized medicine used sunbathing in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to heal many conditions?

Class is in session

HELIOTHERAPY THREAD Modern medicine demonizes the sun, more specifically all UV light wavelengths

Their messaging makes this clear, whether it’s done implicitly or explicitly

This thread will serve as the nail in the coffin of these outrageous centralized ideas

Are you resistant to leptin?

The root of the obesity and diabetes epidemic that next to nobody is talking about

LEPTIN 101 THREAD Leptin is a peptide hormone from fat cells that plays a key role in controlling appetite and energy balance

Leptin is derived from the Greek (leptons) from a word meaning thin

When you think hunger, think ghrelin

When you think satiety, think leptin

How are free mobile electrons able to fight chronic inflammation with Earthing so quickly, regardless of their location?

There are several shocking reasons

UNBELIEVABLE EARTHING THREAD The body is electrically conductive through a continuous system of “biological wires” composed of semiconductor proteins

Microtubules, actin, and collagen are essential proteins in the human body, forming structures inside and outside cells

They act like biological wires connected by various proteins

The Dendritic Cytoskeleton Information Processing Model suggests a communication network in neurons involving microtubules and actin

It explores how these structures transfer information at the quantum level, proposing a rapid communication network across the organism, influencing development and cell growth

Tanning Beds

Should you use them or not?

This is a subject I’ve gotten many questions on, so here’s the only resource you need to clarify any confusion

TANNING BED THREAD Tanning beds are devices that emit ultraviolet (UV) radiation to simulate sunbathing

Most people mainly use a tanning bed to increase melanin production (darker skin)

My stance is this:

It’s a slippery slope

And I’ll explain why as we go on

Scared of getting skin cancer or damaged skin from sunbathing?

Lay those worries to rest

This skin protein plays a massive role in the hydration and protection of the skin

FILAGGRIN & SUNLIGHT THREAD Filaggrin is a protein that plays a crucial role in maintaining the skin's barrier function

It helps in the formation of the outermost layer of the skin (stratum corneum)

This protein is important for skin hydration and protection

Light pollution is a societal menace

Artificial light at night (ALAN):

• Disconnects us from the stars
• Ruins our mitochondria
• Creates chronic disease
• Harms other ecosystems & animals

LIGHT POLLUTION THREAD Light pollution refers to the excessive, misdirected, or obtrusive artificial light produced by human activities

It has second, third, and fourth order consequences for society and nature

This subject is grossly underrated