Are You Allergic to the Sun—or Is It a Gut Issue?

If your skin flares up after time in the sun, you might assume it's just sensitive skin. But what if your body is signaling something deeper—like a problem with fat digestion?

Dr. Anjali Agrawal, founder of Back in Balance, explains how recurring sun sensitivity could be your body’s way of calling attention to your digestive health, particularly how you’re breaking down fats and proteins.

Why Summer Is the Perfect Time to Look Within

Warmer weather means more time outside—and for some, more reactions to the sun. Whether it’s redness, rashes, or an uneasy feeling in your skin, the discomfort might not be just surface-level.

Dr. Agrawal began exploring this connection after noticing similar patterns in her own family. What started as sensitivity to sunlight turned into a deeper understanding of how digestion, especially of fat and protein, could be playing a role.

The Sun, Vitamin D, and Your Digestion

We depend on sunlight to help our bodies make vitamin D—a fat-soluble vitamin that supports bone health, hormones, and immune function. But if your skin is reacting negatively to sun exposure, your body might not be converting or absorbing vitamin D efficiently.

This is often linked to how well your body digests fat. Without proper fat digestion, your cells can’t absorb vitamin D effectively, even with plenty of sunshine.

Let’s Talk Digestion: It Starts Before You Eat

Digestion doesn’t begin in the stomach—it starts with your senses. Smelling or seeing food kicks off enzyme production. As you chew, your body starts breaking food down. But if you’re constantly stressed, eating too fast, or skipping meals, your digestion may fall short—especially when it comes to fats and proteins.

Some signs your digestion may need support:

• You avoid fatty foods like nuts, seeds, avocados, or meat—not because you want to, but because they don’t feel good after.

• You struggle with symptoms like bloating, constipation, or heaviness.

• You may be low in fat-soluble nutrients like vitamins A, D, E, and K.

How Overworking Your Gut Affects Your Immune System

Here’s something most people don’t realize: when your digestive system can’t break down food properly, your immune system jumps in to help. But it’s not designed for that job long-term.

When this happens over and over, your body may start labeling certain foods—especially fats and proteins—as threats. Over time, that can create a pattern of food avoidance, nutrient depletion, and, yes, even sun sensitivity.

A Cycle You Can Break

If you avoid fats and proteins because they leave you feeling sluggish or uncomfortable, it can lead to a slow but steady decline in key nutrients. And when those fat-soluble vitamins (like D) drop too low, your body can’t process sunlight the way it’s meant to—often triggering inflammation instead of vitality.

This is your body’s way of saying: “Let’s look deeper.”

What You Can Do to Support Your Digestion (and Your Skin)

You don’t have to stay stuck in this cycle. Start with small, intentional shifts:

• Prioritize whole-food fats and proteins: avocados, nuts, seeds, wild-caught fish, pasture-raised meats.

• Chew more and eat slower—especially when you’re feeling calm.

• Avoid eating on the go or during stressful moments.

• Consider enzyme support to ease the load on your gut.

• Partner with a practitioner to uncover root causes and personalized solutions.

It’s Your Choice

Your skin might be whispering what your gut’s been saying for a while: something’s not quite right. But that doesn’t mean you’re stuck. You can rebuild your digestion, support your nutrient absorption, and start to feel better—in the sun and beyond.

This is your invitation to explore what's really going on inside—and take simple, aligned steps to support long-term health.

Want help making sense of your symptoms and building habits that stick?

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