The Effects of Natural Light, Full Spectrum Lights and Artificial Lights on Your Health

The human body has evolved into a beautiful running organism that function in a twenty-four-hour clock called the circadian rhythm. Full spectrum lights are one answer to improving some problems related to changing this inner clock.

Did You Know That Light Exposure Has Dramatic Effects On Your Health?

Light, especially artificial light has a range of effects on human physiology and behavior and it can alter human body function when inappropriately timed. One source of potential light-related problems is the effect of changing the timing of light exposure on the body and its functioning hormonal rhythms.

Changes in light-dark exposure, like the changes in nighttime occupations and long-distance (or trans-meridian) travel, can dramatically alter circadian function, so that internal hormonal rhythms can become desynchronized from both the external environment and internal body function. This impairs your ability to sleep and wake at the appropriate times and compromises physical and metabolic processes. Examples of these are called "jet lag," and "sleep disorders," and the long-term effects can be devastating to your body.

Light can also have direct acute effects on neuro-endocrine systems, for example, in suppressing melatonin synthesis or elevating cortisol production that may have negative long-term effects on the body through different weight gain. Indeed, some studies relate obesity and other chronic weight-related conditions in adult populations to the extended number of hours that the body is deprived sleep and / or exposed to too much light.

When the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences recently assembled, a workshop of a diverse group of scientists met to consider how best to organize and conduct research on possible connections between lighting and health. They designated three areas of study for light exposure and body function.

First are the basic biophysical and molecular genetic body functions related to light exposure for circadian (24-hour biorhythm) rhythms and endocrine (glands producing hormones) regulation? In other words, how your body's nervous and glandular systems are affected by light exposure.

Second are the possible physiologic consequences of disrupting your circadian clock's regulatory processes with the hormone melatonin, and normal and new growth tissues and growth dynamics. In other words, the repair of damaged tissue while you are at rest when your body is not exposed to light.

Third are effects of light-induced physiologic disorder on disease incidence and prognosis. Also how prevention and treatment may be improved by applying this knowledge to patient care.

While these studies are in their infancy, it is certain that the discoveries related to light exposure will produce significant findings about your health. Meanwhile, research has already been conducted regarding full spectrum lights and fluorescent lighting. It has been found that full-spectrum, natural light is better for the human body than any other form of artificially produced lighting. OttLites produces such full spectrum lights for home and office use.