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Most of us are exposed to an abundance of artificial blue light on a daily basis, via our modern technology (lamps, cellphones, computers, TVs, etc). Our bodies physiologically respond to light from the blue portion of the spectrum with a state of wakefulness, via the suppression of melatonin production. This constant stream of artificial blue light is wreaking havoc on our circadian rhythms.
Today’s guest, a physicist, is one of the leading experts on this topic — Dr. Edward Carome. In this episode, you’ll learn how blue light interacts with our bodies by suppressing melatonin-production and some surprising, and not often discussed, effects this can have on us. Dr Carome relays some excellent strategies on how to minimize blue light exposure, particularly in the evening hours. Whether you are using these blue-light-producing modern devices on a daily basis or not, the information in this interview is extremely important! Enjoy, and please share your thoughts in the ReWild Yourself! Facebook group! I’d love to hear what strategies you are utilizing to safeguard your circadian rhythm!
Episode Breakdown:
- Dr. Carome’s background in light
- The effects of blue light on the pineal gland
- Artificial light from our modern devices
- Dr. Carome’s experience with melatonin
- When to use blue-blockers to support your circadian rhythms
- The powerful effects of melatonin
- Amount of blue light in LEDs, Incandescents, Tungstens and other bulbs
- Do short bursts of blue light at night cause melatonin production to cease?
- The best blue-blocking products and how to use
- Crisper focus outdoors wearing blue-blocking glasses
- Concluding thoughts
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Episode Resources:
- LEDs
- Seasonal Affective Disorder
- Pineal gland
- Nonvisual photoreceptors of the deep brain, pineal organs and retina.
- Link Between Light at Night and Breast Cancer Among Female Night-Shift Nurses
- What’s in a Color? The Unique Human Health Effects of Blue Light
- Melatonin
- Chicken eyeglasses
- Melatonin-depleted blood from premenopausal women exposed to light at night stimulates growth of human breast cancer xenografts in nude rats.
- Light Exposure at Night Disrupts Host/Cancer Circadian Regulatory Dynamics
- Growth and fatty acid metabolism of human breast cancer (MCF-7) xenografts in nude rats: impact of constant light-induced nocturnal melatonin suppression.
- Light’s Dark Side
- PubMed.gov - Cancer
- PubMed.gov - Alzheimers
Blue-blocking Resources:
Meet Dr. Carome
Dr. Carome is a retired professor of physics at John Carroll University. During his long and distinguished career, he has consulted widely with industry and governmental agencies, and has published widely in various technical journals. He has been awarded 21 U.S. patents. For more than two decades, he has conducted leading-edge research on fiber optics. His research has attracted more than $1.5 million in federal funding from such agencies as NASA, the FBI, the National Institutes of Health, the Office of Naval Research and the Army Office of Research, among others. The State of Ohio and such leading corporations as British Petroleum, Goodyear Aerospace and Litton Industries have added an additional $1 million or more in support for his research. He holds a doctorate in physics from Case Institute of Technology.