The Sunlight Report is a research publication about sunlight and human health. We read the studies behind familiar advice about the sun and explain what researchers measured, what they found, and what their results can tell us.
Our coverage includes the benefits and harms of sunlight, the ways light acts on the body, and the effects of dose and circumstance. Sunscreen belongs in that work too, including how well it protects and what happens to its chemicals after they enter the body.
How we read the evidence
We keep the exposures distinct. A study of people spending time outdoors answers a different question from an experiment under a lamp. Vitamin D in someone's blood, their latitude, or their memory of sunburns can help researchers study sunlight, but each measures something different.
We look at how a study was designed, who took part, and how the researchers measured exposure and health. When results disagree, we examine the methods and the people behind the numbers. Funding and conflicts of interest matter as context; they do not settle whether a finding is sound.
Articles link to their sources. The study library holds publication details and abstracts, with plain-language accounts of selected studies. The topics page brings the articles together by subject.
Questions and corrections
Research changes, and we can make mistakes. If you find an error, an overlooked study, or a passage that needs a clearer explanation, contact us with the page and the details.