Can we eat the Sun?
Go for it, sonny! ☀️ :)
Yes, humans have the ability to use the sun's rays as a direct source of energy, like plants!
A 2014 Journal of Cell Science research article revealed that "mammalian mitochondria can capture sunlight and synthesize ATP when mixed with light-capturing metabolite chlorophyll". This means that humans can be classified as photoheterotrophs; an organism with both animal and plant-like sustaining capabilities!
Here's a step-by-step breakdown of how 'human photosynthesis' works:
1. The sun
2. Photons of energy from sunlight pass through the melanin in your skin.
4. This all happens even in the absence of calories from food!
"The human body has evolutionarily adapted to capturing and utilizing sunlight through the melanin in our skin. Human hairlessness was positively selected for and made possible the conversion of sunlight wavelengths into chemical energy within our cells.", says Marshall.
There are even ways you can promote your innate ability to photosynthesize (sounds weird, right?) by upping your chlorophyll intake with blue spirulina powder.
If you struggle to get sunlight exposure with the seasons and/or struggle with SAD, try the SPERTI sunlamp*. You just need 5mins of lamp time 3x per week, plus the effects of skin UVB treatments for health and performance are much stronger than oral vitamin D!
* PCP VIP members get the sunlamp at a discount, contact us to order. If you are not a member, what are you waiting for?
Join to become a PCP VIP now to start saving!