Using Red Light to Improve Metabolism & the Harmful Effects of LEDs | Dr. Glen Jeffery
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Podcast Summary
In this fascinating episode, Dr. Glen Jeffrey, a professor of neuroscience at University College London, reveals groundbreaking research on how different wavelengths of light can dramatically improve your health at the cellular level. (03:00) The discussion explores how long-wavelength light (red, near-infrared, and infrared) enhances mitochondrial function by affecting the water surrounding these cellular powerhouses, leading to improved ATP production and better overall cellular health. (27:00) Dr. Jeffrey presents compelling evidence that these beneficial wavelengths can actually pass through your entire body, scattering and providing systemic health benefits far beyond the point of application.
- Main Theme: How light wavelengths affect mitochondrial health and the concerning shift from natural broad-spectrum lighting to LED lighting that may be undermining our cellular function and overall health
Speakers
Dr. Glen Jeffrey
Dr. Glen Jeffrey is a professor of neuroscience at University College London and a leading expert on how different wavelengths of light impact cellular, organ, and overall health. He previously ran the eye bank at Moorfields Eye Hospital and has conducted groundbreaking research on light's effects on mitochondrial function, vision, and metabolic health across multiple species including flies, mice, and humans.
Andrew Huberman
Andrew Huberman is a professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine. He hosts the Huberman Lab Podcast, where he discusses science and science-based tools for everyday life, reaching millions of listeners with evidence-based health information.
Key Takeaways
Long-Wavelength Light Improves Mitochondrial Function Through Water
Dr. Jeffrey's research reveals that red, near-infrared, and infrared light improve mitochondrial function not by directly affecting the mitochondria themselves, but by changing the viscosity of the nano water surrounding these cellular powerhouses. (19:18) This discovery came after years of failed attempts to find direct mitochondrial absorption of long wavelengths. The water absorption allows the ATP-producing "wheels" in mitochondria to spin faster and triggers the production of more energy-generating proteins, creating both immediate and long-term improvements in cellular function.
Light Can Pass Through Your Entire Body and Create Systemic Effects
Remarkably, long-wavelength light can penetrate completely through the human body, with a few percent emerging from the opposite side. (27:00) This discovery means that shining red light on a small area like your back can create system-wide effects. Dr. Jeffrey's team demonstrated this by showing that illuminating just a small patch of skin significantly reduced blood glucose spikes by over 20% - an effect that couldn't be explained by local mitochondrial changes alone. This suggests mitochondria throughout the body communicate and act as a community.
Three Minutes of Morning Red Light Can Improve Vision for Five Days
A simple three-minute exposure to 670-nanometer red light in the morning can improve color vision thresholds by approximately 20% in most people, with effects lasting exactly five days across flies, mice, and humans. (57:00) This "switch-like" response works best between perceived sunrise and 11 AM when mitochondria are most active. The intervention is most effective in people over 40, as younger individuals already have optimal mitochondrial function with less room for improvement.
LED Lighting May Be Creating a Public Health Crisis
Dr. Jeffrey warns that LED lighting, which lacks long wavelengths and contains concentrated short wavelengths (420-440 nanometers), may be damaging mitochondrial function on a scale comparable to asbestos exposure. (82:00) Studies show mice under LED lighting develop fatty liver disease, gain weight, show behavioral changes, and have reduced lifespan. The concerning trend of flattening life expectancy in Western countries after 2010 correlates with the widespread adoption of LED lighting, suggesting a potential public health emergency.
Simple, Low-Cost Solutions Can Restore Healthy Light Balance
The solution doesn't require expensive devices - halogen or incandescent bulbs provide the full spectrum of wavelengths humans evolved under, similar to sunlight and firelight. (122:00) Even dimmed halogen desk lamps in windowless offices produced sustained improvements in workers' color vision that lasted over a month. Dr. Jeffrey recommends getting outside regularly, using halogen lamps indoors, placing plants near buildings to reflect infrared light, and avoiding tinted windows that block beneficial wavelengths.
Statistics & Facts
- Over your lifetime, you will lose one-third of your rod photoreceptors in your retina, but exposure to long-wavelength light can significantly slow this age-related decline. (39:48)
- Studies show that people with higher sunlight exposure have reduced all-cause mortality, with lower rates of cardiovascular disease and cancers being the primary drivers of this effect. (10:55)
- In office workers without windows, adding 40-watt incandescent desk lamps for just two weeks produced vision improvements that lasted over a month, far exceeding the five-day effect typically seen with targeted red light therapy. (103:00)
