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Are LED Lights Bad for Us? Study Warns They’re the ‘New Asbestos’
UCL scientists say blue-heavy LED light may disrupt mitochondria, and a study of 22 adults found broader-spectrum lighting improved vision after two weeks.
- On Monday, University College London researchers warned that prolonged LED exposure may pose a public health emergency, with Professor Glen Jeffery and Dr. Bob Fosbury claiming LED-dominated environments disrupt metabolic function.
- Humans evolved under the full spectrum of sunlight, which includes infrared light necessary for mitochondrial efficiency; Fosbury, formerly of the European Space Agency, describes modern indoor environments as "infrared darkness" where missing wavelengths interfere with cellular energy generation.
- A study of 22 healthy adults exposed to broader-spectrum tungsten lighting showed "significant" improvements in color-contrast vision, while experiments in fruit flies and mice revealed daily blue light exposure reduced mitochondrial activity by around 50%.
- Jeffery compared LED technology to asbestos, calling it a "clear and present public health emergency," and researchers advise spending more time outdoors in natural daylight or using at least one conventional incandescent bulb per room.
- While the claim that LED lighting causes systemic disease in humans remains a hypothesis requiring long-term studies, UCL researchers are exploring ways to restore missing wavelengths to modern indoor lighting to support healthy mitochondrial function.
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources20
Leaning Left5Leaning Right1Center13Last UpdatedBias Distribution69% Center
Bias Distribution
- 69% of the sources are Center
69% Center
L 26%
C 69%
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