Sunshine Highs and Heatwave Lows
Does where you live play a role in having MS?
There’s something about this disease that never quite fits into tidy boxes.
When I started digging into the statistics behind Multiple Sclerosis, I expected to find a clean pattern, a neat row of explanations that made sense.
But what I found was… fragments.
What we do know for sure is this: women are diagnosed with MS far more often than men, and the farther you live from the equator, the higher your chances of developing it. Those two patterns show up again and again, no matter the study or decade. Everything else—genetics, stress, diet, even certain viruses—might play a role, but nothing has been as consistent as gender and geography. It’s as if sunlight itself is quietly woven into the story of MS.
But beyond that, the numbers don’t line up in a way that gives us one simple cause. There’s no neat formula.
What I find interesting is that depression, too, is more common in places farther from the equator. And now researchers are finding that depression may not only contribute to MS, but sometimes even signal its early stages.
Isn’t it ironic? The same lack of sunlight that can dim our mood and cause depression is also linked to higher rates of Multiple Sclerosis. Two completely different conditions, one emotional, one physical, both tied to something as simple as not getting enough sun. It makes you wonder if maybe we’ve underestimated the power of light—not just for how it makes us feel, but for how it helps us heal.
What does stand out, though, is this: people who live a healthier lifestyle and maintain a strong mind–body connection seem to have lower rates of diagnosis for MS and depression regardless of where you live. And for those who do get diagnosed, that same connection becomes a critical support for staying as healthy and grounded as possible
If sunlight and vitamin D deficiencies contribute to depression, and depression plays a role in MS, then the mind–body connection becomes more than a wellness buzzword. It becomes part of the strategy.
A strong mind–body connection:
Regulates a disregulated nervous system
Lowers stress hormones and calms the fight–flight–freeze response
Improves sleep, energy, and daily rhythm
Releases mood-boosting neurochemicals
Strengthens Neuroplasticity, helping the brain rebuild and adapt
This isn’t abstract — it’s lived. It’s breathwork, grounding, movement, sunlight when you can tolerate it, and self-regulation when you can’t.
The lack of sunlight and vitamin D can set the stage for depression.
Depression can quietly pave the way for MS.
And a strong mind–body connection can help break that cycle — before diagnosis, and especially after.
I can’t control the sun, my latitude, or the diagnosis. But I can choose to support my nervous system, strengthen my inner connection, and give my body the best chance it has to do what it was designed to do: adapt, regulate, and heal.
This is the part of MS no one talks about enough: the invisible threads.
Sunlight. Mood. Mind. Body. They’re all woven together.
I may live far from the equator and avoid the heat. But every breath, every small movement, every quiet act of regulation is me choosing not to be powerless in the face of something that often feels bigger than me.
This is where the science meets the soul.
And this is where healing begins.
Share the Light.
Christi
Finding balance between sun-kissed joy and mindful care.
La Manzanilla 2025