The Wellness Report #6: Focused or Fried?
Nutriburst Vitamins
July 11, 2025
The Science of Sunlight/Dopamine
Sunlight triggers a cascade of effects in your brain and body. One of the most important? It stimulates dopaminergic activity, a key process in mood, motivation, and focus.Here’s how it works
- When UV light hits your retina, it activates a brain region called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), your body’s master clock.
- The SCN signals your brain to reduce melatonin and increase dopamine and serotonin, lifting your energy and mood.
- Dopamine release is also triggered by UV-induced beta-endorphins (Opacka-Juffry et al., 2012), which is why sunbathing can feel like a natural high.
One major study by Knudsen et al. (2016) showed that dopamine receptor availability is markedly higher in summer than in winter.
Why the Summer Crash Hits Harder
1. Your sleep is disrupted: Your body needs to cool down at night to release melatonin and enter deep sleep. But summer heat keeps your core temperature high, leading to lighter, less restorative sleep (Okamoto-Mizuno et al., 2004). Poor sleep reduces your brain’s ability to regulate dopamine the next day.
2. You lose electrolytes: Sweating depletes sodium, potassium, and magnesium—key minerals involved in nerve signalling and emotional regulation. Even mild dehydration (1–2%) can impair memory, concentration, and mood (Masento et al., 2014).
3. Blood sugar crashes faster: Appetite changes in hot weather. You may skip meals or rely on cold, sugary snacks and drinks. That leads to spikes — and sudden drops — in blood glucose, triggering fatigue and irritability.
4. Your nervous system stays overstimulated: More sun, more socialising, more sensory input. In summer, your baseline stress response is higher, even if you feel “fine.” This makes any comedown feel more intense.
According to clinical research, the following nutrients and strategies can help stabilise dopamine over time:
- Magnesium – involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions, including dopamine transport and stress regulation
- Vitamin B6 – essential for converting L-DOPA into dopamine
- L-Tyrosine – an amino acid precursor to dopamine; shown to support focus and emotional resilience
- Adaptogens (e.g. ashwagandha) – help regulate the stress hormone cortisol and buffer the nervous system (Chandrasekhar et al., 2012)
- Hydration with electrolytes – supports brain function, hormone balance, and thermoregulation in heat
