Your body needs a minimum of 2 hours of natural light every day just to function normally. Research during the past 10 years has shown that the amount and the quality of the light we take in affects us in many ways – both physically and psychologically.
The range of frequencies in the light (the colour spectrum) and its intensity are both important health factors, as each can influence your biorhythms and impact your well-being.
Most people don't get enough natural light because they spend too much time indoors, especially during the winter months, and even worse they spend their time under poor quality artificial light. Further contributing to the problem, windows, windshields, eyeglasses, and smog all filter out parts of the natural light spectrum, making it more difficult for us to get the light nutrients we need.
Because of these lifestyle factors, more and more people suffer from "mal-illumination" or light starvation.
In an interview published in 1991, light researcher J.N. Ott explained, “There are neurochemical channels from the retina to the pineal and pituitary glands, the master glands of the whole endocrine system that controls the production and release of hormones. This regulates your body chemistry and its growth, all organs of your body, including your brain, and how they function.”
Research has shown that the body’s DNA absorbs and emits light, and that our body’s cells communicate with light. About 25% of the light that enters through our eyes travels along the optical path and is used for vision – the remaining 75% travels to the brain where it is sent out to the body’s entire cellular structure.
All vitamin, mineral, and other nutritional substances that are taken into the body have specific wavelength absorption characteristics. If those wavelengths are missing because a person is deficient in full spectrum light, then the nutritional benefits of these substances will not be absorbed and utilized. Full spectrum wavelength energy penetrates the tissues and interacts at the molecular level, aiding in the breakdown of substances for assimilation and the excretion of undesirable wastes.
Physiological studies have also conclusively shown that people exposed to full spectrum light (as compared to cool white artificial light) have increased oxygen intake, reduced heart rate, increased ability to absorb vitamin D and calcium and improved muscle utilization.
Full spectrum light and sunlight also produce wavelengths that can kill numerous bacteria, molds, yeasts, and viruses. Natural light also helps to regulate the body’s production of hormones that govern our appetite, mood, and libido, as well as the production of melatonin which affects the quality of our sleep.
Excessive exposure to harmful artificial light sources (incandescent, halogen, and fluorescent lights, as well as computer monitors) over a period of time can lead to significant imbalances in key neurotransmitters such as melatonin, norepinephrine, beta endorphin, serotonin and acetylcholine. It also leads to increased production of cortisol – the stress hormone.
During the darkness of winter many people notice symptoms of light starvation such as tiredness, lethargy, sleep imbalances, difficulty concentrating, and cravings for caffeine, sugar and carbohydrates – often resulting in an unwanted weight gain – symptoms that are sometimes referred to as the Winter Blues. In some extreme cases this can become Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which is typified by depression, low self-esteem, anxiety, an inability to cope with stress, a weakened immune system, and a reduced sex drive.
In addition to SAD and the Winter Blues, conditions that can benefit from increased natural light exposure include pre-menstrual syndrome, ADD/ADHD, chronic fatigue syndrome, immune system dysfunction, and circadian rhythm imbalances.
Research has shown that exposure to full spectrum light
can help to provide the light nourishment we need on a
daily basis.
Artificial light creates fatigue
While artificial lighting enables us to read and work without
the benefit of sunlight, it can also profoundly affect our body's
immune and nervous systems. We can actually receive a
harmful dosage of incandescent, fluorescent and halogen
light, which has a distorted spectral distribution.
These types of standard artificial lighting sources are
unbalanced – emitting only the lower light frequencies of
red, orange, and yellow – and your body does not react
favourably to it. Because the higher light frequencies of
blue, indigo, and violet are missing, artificial light irritates
the body’s nervous system and keeps you in a constant
state of low-grade stress.
Excessive exposure to artificial light sources (including computer monitors) can lead to significant imbalances in key neurotransmitters and increased production of cortisol – the stress hormone. Standard fluorescent lighting also operates at 60 Hertz and “flickers” (goes on and off) 120 times per second, just above visual range, creating even more irritation in the nervous system.
The physical nature of all “yellowish” light (incandescent, fluorescent, and halogen) causes it not to absorb very well into white paper (such as newspapers and books). Instead it bounces back causing glare and eyestrain. Full spectrum light absorbs easily into white paper, so glare is eliminated and your eyes are not strained when you read or work.
In addition, computers, TVs, and fluorescent lights emit soft x-rays that penetrate the body and cause iron in the blood’s hemoglobin to clump. This clumping reduces oxygen flow and results in drowsiness. When full spectrum light enters the eyes it causes the hemoglobin to un-clump, promoting oxygen flow and eliminating fatigue.
Experiences within the business community demonstrate that full spectrum light improves mental sharpness and concentration. When Control Data Corporation installed full spectrum lighting in employee work stations, the data input error rate dropped to the point where the company saved more than $235,000 per year. For many companies lighting has become an important component of their office design. Companies that use full spectrum lighting have reported that employee morale has improved, while complaints of headaches and eyestrain while working at computer terminals have greatly decreased.
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