By Sara Andrew
What does Kent—the Swedish rock band—have in common with Spain, Sweden, and even the glowing star at the center of our solar system? On the surface, not much. But when you peel back the layers, a clear connection emerges: the sun. And it’s a theme that nutritionist, author, and health expert Fredrik Paulún has spent a great deal of time writing about. His reflections on the sun highlight how deeply intertwined light is with life itself, human health, and even culture.
The sun is, quite literally, a prerequisite for life. Every breath we take, every meal we eat, and every thought we think ultimately traces back to the blazing star 150 million kilometers away. It’s both dangerous and essential, inhospitable yet life-giving. And depending on whether you’re in sun-soaked Spain, sun-starved Sweden, or listening to Kent’s melancholic lyrics, the role of the sun can take on very different meanings.
The Sun: Our Cosmic Lamp
To understand Paulún’s fascination with the sun, we need to start with the basics. The sun is a massive nuclear reactor, burning hydrogen into helium and releasing unimaginable amounts of energy. A tiny fraction of this energy hits Earth, and that’s enough to sustain all of life. Plants convert sunlight into food through photosynthesis, animals eat the plants, and eventually, we benefit from this flow of energy. Without the sun, life would not just be difficult—it would be impossible.
Earth’s position is also nothing short of miraculous. A little closer to the sun, and we would be scorched like Venus, where temperatures soar to 470°C. A little further away, and we would be frozen like Mars, where winter nights can plunge to –150°C. Instead, Earth orbits in the “Goldilocks zone,” perfectly placed for life. Over millions of years, evolution has molded us to adapt to this rhythm of sunlight: from melanin in our skin, to circadian clocks that tell us when to sleep, to DNA repair systems that protect us from radiation.
Inside our cells, even mitochondria—the tiny power plants that generate our body’s energy—contain light-sensitive molecules. These chromophores absorb specific wavelengths of light, boosting the efficiency of turning food into energy. In other words, sunlight doesn’t just warm our skin; it energizes us on a cellular level. 
Sweden and the Struggle With Sunlight
Here’s where geography comes into play. Sweden, Paulún’s homeland, is notoriously short on sunlight for much of the year. Winters are long, cold, and dark, with the sun barely peeking over the horizon for a few hours a day. Unsurprisingly, rates of vitamin D deficiency, seasonal depression, and fatigue are common.
Despite this, modern health advice in the West often paints the sun as dangerous, emphasizing sunscreen and shade to the point where many people are chronically underexposed. Paulún argues this has gone too far. For every person who suffers from skin cancer due to overexposure, hundreds more could benefit from safe, regular sun exposure. Sunlight, he points out, improves mood, strengthens immunity, and even reduces risks of certain chronic diseases.
The irony is that in a sun-poor country like Sweden, many people avoid the little sunlight they do get—when, in fact, they need it most. Compare this to Spain, where sun is abundant and woven into daily life, from siestas under warm skies to evenings outdoors. Both cultures are shaped by the same star, but in strikingly different ways.
Kent and the Poetics of Light and Darkness
So, where does Kent—the iconic Swedish rock band—fit into all this? While Paulún writes about the science and health benefits of the sun, Kent often captures its symbolic side. Their lyrics, steeped in melancholy, reflect the duality of light and darkness, warmth and cold, longing and loss. Growing up in Eskilstuna, a town in Sweden where winters are dim and summers fleeting, Kent’s music embodies that push and pull with the sun.
In Spain, sunlight is almost a given. In Sweden, it feels fleeting, almost mythical. Kent’s music often resonates with those who understand what it’s like to long for light in the dark of winter—a feeling Paulún addresses on a biological level in his work. One deals with the poetry of the sun, the other with the physiology, but both capture its central role in human life.
Light Therapy: An Ancient Practice Reborn
The fascination with sunlight isn’t new. Ancient civilizations like the Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians prescribed sunlight as medicine. Sanatoriums in the 19th and early 20th centuries routinely put tuberculosis patients outdoors, knowing that sun exposure sped up recovery. Even simple things like placing hospital beds near windows made a measurable difference in survival rates.
By the early 20th century, technology entered the picture. Doctors experimented with “light baths,” using incandescent bulbs to mimic sunlight. John Harvey Kellogg—the same man who created cornflakes—was one of the big proponents. While his breakfast cereal was more of a cultural curiosity, his experiments with phototherapy turned out to have lasting medical significance.
In fact, light therapy research earned Niels Finsen the Nobel Prize in 1903, after he showed how UV light could treat skin tuberculosis. From then on, light became a legitimate medical tool, though progress stalled during the World Wars.
Photobiomodulation: The Science of Healing With Light
By the 1960s, a new era of research began. Scientists like Endre Mester discovered that laser light didn’t cause cancer in mice, as feared, but actually accelerated healing. Later, Robert Furchgott found that light could relax blood vessels, improving circulation and lowering blood pressure. That work eventually won him a Nobel Prize in 1998.
Today, this field is called photobiomodulation (PBM), and it’s one of the fastest-growing areas of medical research. From reducing inflammation to improving recovery after surgery, the applications are expanding rapidly. Even NASA stumbled upon its benefits in the 1990s, when astronauts working with plant lamps noticed their own cuts healing faster.
What’s remarkable is that small doses of the right wavelengths—often in the red and near-infrared spectrum—are enough to trigger significant biological effects. You don’t need intense beams or hospital-grade equipment. Sometimes, just a little sunlight at the right time of day can do wonders.
Rethinking Our Relationship With the Sun
Taken together, Paulún’s message is clear: it’s time to rethink how we view the sun. While excessive exposure can be harmful, the greater danger for most people—especially in northern countries like Sweden—is not getting enough. Sunlight isn’t just about getting a tan; it’s about fueling our biology, lifting our mood, and even speeding up healing.
And perhaps that’s where Spain, Sweden, and even Kent’s music meet: they’re all shaped by how much—or how little—sunlight they receive. In Spain, it’s a constant companion. In Sweden, it’s a fleeting visitor, longed for and celebrated when it finally arrives. In Kent’s music, it becomes a metaphor for hope, loss, and longing. And for Fredrik Paulún, it becomes a call to action: to embrace the sun as a vital part of human health. “The Sun is a massive nuclear fusion reactor, where hydrogen nuclei fuse into helium, releasing enormous amounts of energy as light and heat.”
The Sun Guy
Paulún’s work reminds us that the sun is not our enemy but our ally. Used wisely, it’s a healer, an energiser, and a life-giver. Kent’s music reminds us of the emotional weight light carries in places where it is scarce. And Spain shows us what life looks like when the sun is a constant presence.
In the end, whether you’re dancing in Spanish sunlight, surviving Swedish winters, or listening to Kent on a long, dark night, the sun is the silent partner in it all—the cosmic lamp that makes life not only possible but meaningful.
