# Ep. 604 “It’s Not Just Vitamin D!” – How Sunlight Supports Blood Pressure, Mood & Hormonal Health with Rowan Jacobsen | Perimenopause, Menopause, Sleep

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/everyday-wellness-midlife-hormones-menopause-and-science-for-women-35-72097/ep-604-it-s-not-just-vitamin-d-how-sunlight-supports-blood-pressure-mood-hormonal-health-with-rowan-jacobsen-perimenopause-menopause-sleep
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/everyday-wellness-midlife-hormones-menopause-and-science-for-women-35-72097/ep-604-it-s-not-just-vitamin-d-how-sunlight-supports-blood-pressure-mood-hormonal-health-with-rowan-jacobsen-perimenopause-menopause-sleep.md
Podcast: [Everyday Wellness: Midlife Hormones, Menopause, and Science for Women 35+](https://stenobird.com/podcast/everyday-wellness-midlife-hormones-menopause-and-science-for-women-35-72097)
Published: 2026-06-10T07:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/CTH6029373409.mp3
Audio file: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/CTH6029373409.mp3
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Duration seconds: 3439

## Resource

Today, I’m thrilled to connect with Rowan Jacobsen. Rowan writes about science, nature, and the world’s lesser-explored corners for publications including Harper’s, Outside, The Atlantic, Scientific American, Smithsonian, and The New York Times, among others. He is the author of nine books, has lectured at Harvard and Yale, and has appeared on CBS, NBC, and NPR. In today’s conversation, we discuss his unique and fascinating new book, In Defense of Sunlight, which explores the nuances surrounding light exposure. We look at the value of sun exposure and vitamin D, and Rowan explains why light acts as a master regulator in the body and how our modern lifestyles may be disrupting our natural biology more than we realize. We examine the effects of shift work, cortisol rhythm dysregulation, and the minimum effective dose of sunlight intensity and exposure, and Rowan breaks down how UVA and UVB wavelengths impact our physiology. We also cover the importance of nitric oxide production, and Rowan shares recommendations from his work. Stay tuned for an eye-opening conversation on why sunlight may be one of the most overlooked foundations of human health. For those who enjoy reading about science, I highly recommend Rowan’s book! IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN: Why so many people fear any sun exposure rather than aiming for sensible, moderate exposure How light acts as a master regulator for circadian biology Why does spending most of the day indoors with artificial lighting make it harder to maintain healthy circadian rhythms? How shift work disrupts the body’s normal repair processes How cortisol and melatonin work together as part of a coordinated daily rhythm What research shows about cloudy outdoor environments providing higher light levels than most indoor spaces The diffe…

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