Is Your Light Ultra-Processed?

 

In an age of ultra-processed food and super refined textiles, have you ever stopped to wonder if the light you're exposed to is also highly synthetic? 

It’s no secret that screens aren't great for you, and the benefits of the sun are well documented. But, what impact does this actually have on your body when you live devoid of natural light?

Firstly, you're going to need some background information, so let's touch up on those high

school biology classes.

The typical visible light spectrum consists of wavelengths between 400-700 nanometers, this ranges from violet (400nm) to red light (700nm). Some individuals may be able to see more or less of this spectrum, but this is the standard range. The spectrum goes well beyond these visible levels on each side, but the most commonly referred types are ultraviolet and infrared. More on the latter soon.

The earth's life force, the sun, produces a much wider spectrum of light. Roughly 50 percent of its output is made up of infrared light, about 5 percent (depending on where you live) is ultraviolet, and the rest is visible light. This is what humanity, and all other living organisms have thrived off since the dawn of time. With over half of sunlight being completely invisible to the naked eye, of course the body found uses for that which we cant see.

When the aim is to produce light, energy science views anything outside the visible spectrum as energy loss. In terms of infrared (anything over 700nm), this is the heat you feel coming off an older bulb, and why you won't feel much from a standard LED. While this makes an LED fantastically energy efficient, it has led to this ultra processed lighting environment we are now exposed to on the daily. Modern LED’s produce essentially no infrared light, and output mainly on the visible light spectrum. This simply means that we can see what's going on around us, but it lacks any other benefits that the rest of the electromagnetic spectrum delivers. But what actually happens when we aren't exposed to enough invisible light?

Firstly, circadian rhythm regulation can be impacted. Exposure to natural light, or light that mimics it such as fires, halogen bulbs, and incandescent is very beneficial; to melatonin production - the stuff that puts you to sleep. One Study published early this year found that incandescent lights have the smallest impact on circadian rhythm and theoretical melatonin suppression. Warm lighting before bed is best for melatonin production and sleep quality. However, very warm LED lights did show almost the same effect. They also found exposure to whiter light during the day is beneficial for circadian rhythm. This further aligns with the natural cycle of the sun, in the morning and evening, it produces a lot of red light. During the day, it produces more white light. Both of which align with the body's natural melatonin and cortisol production.

Invisible light also has the ability to help your body heal and recover faster. One study published in 2023 found patients admitted to hospital with Covid-19 were more likely to have a shorter stay when exposed to NIR (Near Infrared) light. Participants were fitted with vests that simulated natural light and hospital stays went down from an average of 12 days to 8. 

Finally, a recent report from the New Scientist highlighted exposure to “ultra processed light” can impact your body's ability to produce and transport energy, and can impact immune and metabolic function. Being exposed to the whole spectrum of light is 

beneficial for energy production within the mitochondria. Humans use infrared light for ATP production. This is essentially what your body runs on to keep you energised. People exposed to significantly less light show signs of reduced energy and metabolic function. Infrared light penetrates deep into the skin and enters your cells, allowing this process to occur. 

This is testament to reasons red light therapy is gaining traction. In fact, this same principle is applied in laser hair removal technology, which uses concentrated light to penetrate the skin. The colour (frequency) of the light is what allows it to pass through the outer layer of skin.

Now after examining the benefits, it would be wrong not to mention the drawback which is power consumption. Incandescent lightbulbs are roughly 10% as efficient as a LED bulb. One has a lifespan of about 1,000 hours, the other gets 10,000. While LEDs cost more to replace, the savings in power more than cancel out this expense. 

However, earlier this year, power company Genesis relaunched a petition calling for incandescent bulbs to be banned because they are less efficient. While this may be true, an outright ban is quite a far step. Many households already have LED in most rooms, and removing the choice for a healthy alternative is a bit of an overstep. Assume you had LED everywhere except in your bedside lamp. Having a full(er) spectrum bulb for health benefits at the expense of a slightly higher power bill is something houses can choose. That’s the crux of this here. Choice. 

Anyway, what do you think? Are the health benefits worth the cost? Or is this all just going too far?