Public Health 'Time Bomb:' Prolonged Exposure to Blue Light From Smartphones, LED Office Lighting Found To Be Toxic, Study Reveals

According to a new study, prolonged exposure to blue light emitted from smartphones and LED office lighting could be toxic for health on a physiological and cellular level.

Prolonged Blue Light Exposure

Blue-spectrum light bombardment could disrupt the functions of the body and lead to sugar level imbalances. With this, researchers from the University College London note that an environment that is starved of red light may be a public health "time bomb," as it could lead to shorter lives and diabetes.

Professor Glen Jeffery, a neuroscience professor from the Institute of Ophthalmology at UCL, shares that sunlight contains a balance of both blue and red light. However, people currently live in a world that is dominated by blue light.

While it may not be apparent, LED lights are also dominated by blue light. These lights hardly have any red light within them. Professor Jeffery shares that prolonged blue light exposure could be toxic without red light exposure.

On its own, blue light has bad effects on physiology. It can also drive the disruption of blood sugar levels, which could lead to diabetes and shorten health spans in the long run.

Before 1990, incandescent lighting was present. The professor notes that this was okay as it contained a balance of both red and blue light, likening it to sunlight. However, there could not be a public health time bomb that comes with the change towards LEDs in a population that is aging. This may be partially corrected through sunlight exposure.

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Blue Light vs. Red Light

The scientists observed that excessive exposure to blue light could disrupt the mitochondria, which fuels energy generation necessary for powering cells. This could impact levels of blood sugar and contribute further to aging.

The researchers also discovered that shining a red light for 15 minutes on the skin of a person could bring their blood glucose levels under control. They made use of a 670 nm red light that is also used for treatments for anti-aging. They observed that it stimulated the production of energy in cells and increased the consumption of glucose. This resulted in a 27.7% decrease in blood glucose levels, which could offer a novel way to treat diabetes.

Findings were noted in the "Light stimulation of mitochondria reduces blood glucose levels" study.

According to Dr. Michael Powner, a senior neurobiology lecturer at the School of Health and Physiological Sciences, it is evident that light impacts the function of the mitochondria. This affects the body on a physiological and cellular scale.

The study reveals that a single 15-minute red light exposure could be used to reduce blood glucose levels after eating. Though this has only been observed among individuals who are healthy, it may potentially affect diabetes control moving forward.