Many of us have them in our homes and at offices — but a neuroscientist is warning that one household staple may be a major threat to our health.
Glen Jeffery, a professor of neuroscience at University College London, is sounding the alarm about what he calls a “clear and present public health emergency” that no one seems to be talking about.
He has gone so far as to compare the item to asbestos — once widely used in building materials before people realized it can cause issues like mesothelioma and lung cancer.
The health threat? Energy-efficient light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs, which are present in schools, offices, hospitals and nearly half of US households — and which Jeffrey claims could raise the risk of diabetes and other metabolic disorders.
“LED lighting is damaging mitochondria and therefore there is no question you’re damaging systemic health,” Jeffrey told The European. “This is a clear and present public health emergency and we need to take action.”
One study have found that daily exposure to short-wavelength blue light reduced measures of mitochondrial activity by about 50% in mice. Another study found that exposure to blue-enriched LED lighting altered activity, metabolism and liver function in mice.
Mitochondria play an important role in producing energy and regulating metabolism, and mitochondrial dysfunction has been linked to aging and disease.
Jeffery believes the effects could be driven by changes in signaling throughout the body.
“The mitochondria there send messages around in your blood,” he explained. “It changes the blood signaling through what are called cytokine profiles. The mitochondria form a community and signals are sent throughout your body.”
Not everyone is convinced. The European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks (SCHEER) concluded that “there is no evidence of direct adverse health effects from LEDs in normal use by the general healthy population.”
They did, however, note that LED lights can cause temporary discomfort and may effect the sleep/wake cycle.
“All light sources affect the circadian rhythms, but more research is needed to ascertain the specific impact of LED lights on the sleep/wake cycle, and also to determine if disturbances to the circadian system lead to adverse health effects,” they said.
Jeffrey and his colleague Dr. Edward Barrett also did their own study on LED lights and how they impact eyesight.
Adults were exposed for two weeks to either broader-spectrum tungsten lighting or standard LED lighting.
Those exposed to the broader-spectrum light showed improvements in color-contrast vision, while the LED group did not.
In another study, Jeffery found that a single three-minute exposure to red light improved color-contrast vision.
Other research from Jeffrey found that long-wavelength red and near-infrared light can penetrate deeply into the human body, including through clothing.
The antidote to LED lighting exposure? Making sure to get enough exposure to near-infrared light by swapping an incandescent or halogen bulb for an LED-lit room to make sure that fuller-spectrum light is present.
Another source of broad-spectrum light is sunlight, which Jeffery recommends getting regularly, particularly in the morning and evening.
