Screens, LED's and health

​Newer light sources including LED's and screens of digital devices give out light that does not contain the entire spectrum of colour.  The infra red component is missing from the spectrum.  This may potentially cause a couple of problems in the long term.

Infrared appears to prime the retina for healing and regeneration.  Light void of this infrared may therefore put you at increased risk of early degeneration of the retina and macula.

Your mitochondria require this near infrared component of light to produce energy.  Mitochondria are really important in energy production as well as healthy ageing. 

The blue light that remains is known to hamper the production of melatonin much more than any other frequency of light.  Melatonin controls your circadian rhythms (your sleep / wake cycles) and is also the precursor to serotonin (the happy hormone).  If you can not produce optimal amounts of melatonin, your body clock is likely to suffer and you put yourself at increased risk of depression.

Also worth noting is that many studies have linked exposure to light at night with increased risk of prostate and breast cancer, diabetes, obesity and heart disease. 

This article by Dr Mercola provides a much more in depth look into the LED issue and provides some ideas for alternatives.  ​http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/10/23/near-infrared-led-lighting.aspx

Personally I'm all for energy efficiency but it is definitely worth considering the effects some of this new technology may have on our health over the longer term. ~ Bel