Turns out sunlight might be good for more than your mood. A story at Scientific American explores mounting evidence that UV light could help treat autoimmune diseases like MS, Crohn's, and rheumatoid arthritis—not just by boosting vitamin D, but by dialing down immune overreactions. The piece by Rowan Jacobsen focuses in particular on Kathy Reagan Young, a Virginia woman diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2008. Young saw her symptoms dramatically improve after daily sessions with a UV "light box," a device about the size of a space heater. Her fatigue faded, her brain fog lifted, and her MS Disease Activity Score hit rock bottom—in a good way—and has remained there for more than year. The sessions take less than 10 minutes.
Scientists say there may be more to this than coincidence. Sun-deprived regions tend to see more autoimmune cases, and now researchers are digging into why. Molecules in the skin—like urocanic acid and lumisterol—appear to respond to UV exposure in ways that could trigger immune-calming effects throughout the body. It's early days, and experts are careful not to oversell. "UV light therapy holds promise," is how MS researcher Annette Langer-Gould puts it, cautiously. Larger studies are needed before anyone can call UV therapy a silver bullet. Still, the findings are opening new doors for people battling conditions that often leave them with few good options. (Read the full story.)
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