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Light is a life supporting "nutrient". In moderation,
sunlight improves immunity, prevents disease, increases
intelligence, stimulates our metabolism, and boosts our
energy levels.
Specifically, the full spectrum of the sun's light rays
has been shown in medical and scientific studies to:
Prevent cancer (recent clinical studies have shown that
sunlight actually lowers your risk of colon, prostate, breast
and ovarian cancer). Positively influence your risk of getting
sick (there is a preponderance of evidence suggesting that
decreased sun exposure is closely related to your risk of
acquiring the flu, a common occurrence during the winter).
Promote healthy levels of vitamin D, essential not only
for bone health, but also for reducing the risk of developing
disorders such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, obesity,
and autoimmune disease.
Lower your blood pressure (in fact, the farther from the
equator you live, the higher your blood pressure).
Most of us suffer from "sunlight starvation."
We all need about one hour of unfiltered sunshine each day.
Windows (even our eyeglasses) block some of the 1500 wavelengths
present in sunshine from reaching our retinas and nourishing
our brain and body.
Sunlight-blocking air pollution and haze permeate all year
long. Climates with winter weather rob us of essential sunlight.
Gloomy days, clouds, rain and snow all obstruct the sun's
healing rays and dampen our mood is essential). Slathering
on toxic sunscreen.
Wearing sunglasses whenever we're outside. Worrying about
deadly melanomas, a skin cancer wrongly blamed on sun exposure.
Sunlight is an ancient legacy of healing. Prehistoric tribes
& entire civilizations revered and worshipped the sun
for it’s healing properties. Using light to treat
medical conditions (both physical and mental) came to be
known as heliotherapy -- This was the precursor to the therapeutic
use of full spectrum lights. In fact, both Hippocrates and
Pythagoras wrote about the many benefits of sunlight to
promote healing. One Greek city,
Heliopolis was well known for its temples of healing sunlight.
Herodotus, the "father of heliotherapy", wrote
that exposure to the sun is necessary to help people overcome
failing health. In winter, spring and autumn, Herodotus
recommended that the patient should permit the rays of the
sun to strike full upon him; in summer, this method should
be used moderately because of excessive heat.
Benefits like:
- Improved mood, especially for those of you who tend
to get the "winter blues"…
- Enhanced mental awareness, concentration and productivity…
- Superior visual clarity and color perception ...
- Better sleep ...
- Super-charged immune system ...
- More energy ...
- Reduced eye strain and fatigue with a glare-free and
comfortable reading environment ...
- Greater learning ability and intelligence…
Sunlight Starvation Starts in Your Brain To begin with,
when light enters your eyes, it not only goes to your visual
centers enabling you to see; it also goes to your brain's
hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is so important to the body's
functioning that it is known as the brain's brain. This
means that it controls the part of the nervous system regulating
automatic and metabolic processes in the body. The hypothalamus
controls body temperature, hunger and thirst, water balance
and blood pressure. It links the nervous system to the endocrine
system.
The Way Healthier Home Full Spectrum Compact Light Bulbs
only work on 110V and will only work in North America unless
a voltage converter is used. The bulbs will fit in all standard
sized fixtures/lamps. Additionally, it controls the body's
master gland, the pituitary, which secretes many essential
hormones. The hypothalamus initiates the body's stress response,
affects our emotions and controls immune functions. Significantly,
our "body clock" is also housed in tiny centers
located in the hypothalamus. Our body clock-controlled circadian
rhythms are the 24-hour cycles of light and darkness.
These light-sensitive rhythms are not an invention of modern
society. They are biological constructs imposed upon us
by Mother Nature. Consequently, anything that disrupts these
rhythms (like inadequate sunlight) has a far-reaching impact
on our body's ability to function. This explains why, since
sunlight has been shown to be the most effective regulator
of the body clock, it is also the quickest method of recovering
from jet lag. (Or you can supplement sunlight with full
spectrum lighting indoors.) But it gets even more interesting.
In 1998, scientists found that they could reset the body
clocks of study subjects by shining bright lights onto the
back of their knees. This demonstrates that areas of the
skin are significantly affected by light, just like the
retinas of our eyes. This led researchers to conclude that
the body may have more than one body clock, although the
eyes still seem to be the main route by which the circadian
system senses light.
Well, the body clock control centers in the hypothalamus
are also connected to the pineal gland, which is considered
the body's light meter. The pineal gland secretes the important
hormone melatonin. Melatonin, the "hibernation hormone",
increases with decreased light, which explains that tired
feeling that comes on when it begins to get dark outside
-- even if it is only 4 o'clock in the afternoon on a winter's
day. And also explains why decreased melatonin is found
in those with insomnia (and why full spectrum light is beneficial
for healthy sleep). Conversely, serotonin, the brain hormone
associated with mood elevation, rises with exposure to bright
light, and falls with decreased sun exposure. This has been
proven by many scientific studies, including one reported
in the well-respected medical journal Lancet in 2002. This
study measured blood levels of serotonin, finding that production
of serotonin by the brain was directly related to the duration
of bright sunlight.
SAD is a potentially disabling disorder was recognized back
in 1982 by the National Institute of Health, which actually
coined the term "seasonal affective disorder."
Well, both the "winter blues" and SAD have been
scientifically correlated to a lack of sunlight -- and decreased
serotonin. (This is why modern antidepressant drugs called
SSRIs -- like
Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft - are "selective serotonin
reuptake inhibitors".) Characterized by feelings of
sadness and depression, symptoms of these mood disorders
also include irritability, fatigue, excessive eating, food
cravings, oversleeping, social withdrawal and loss of interest
in sex. Because symptoms of the "winter blues"
are milder than those of SAD, many people suffer from it
and don't even realize it!
Light therapy (now called phototherapy) with full spectrum
light wavelengths has been shown by dozens of clinical studies
to be comparable to the effectiveness of
Antidepressant drug therapy for mood disorders.
Dr. Laurence Martel, President of the National Academy of
Integrative Learning, Inc., believes that light, particularly
full spectrum light, is a critical element in what he calls
the ergonomics of learning. As he puts it, malillumination
is to light what malnutrition is to food. Dr. Martel references
a large body of research evidence indicating that the cool-white
fluorescent bulbs found in virtually all classrooms cause
increased stress, hyperactivity, anxiety, fatigue, irritability,
attention problems and poor learning performance. Because
of this, he coined the term "posillumination"
to refer to the simulated sunlight found in full spectrum
lighting. He states that there is an overwhelming body of
research showing its positive impact on human behavior,
learning, health, hardiness and longer life.
According to the journal Environmental Health Perspectives,
poor lighting is one of the major environmental dangers
at school that our children are subjected to. This journal
cited studies showing the positive benefits of "daylighting"
or creating classrooms with full spectrum lighting. In one
study done in a North Carolina school, children attending
classes with full spectrum lighting vs. traditional lighting,
was healthier overall, attended school several more days
per year, and exhibited more positive moods. And a
California school study showed that students in classrooms
with more natural lighting demonstrated faster progression
in both math and reading tests. And students aren't the
only ones noticing benefits in the classrooms. Teachers
have reported more energy, elimination of headaches and
decreased frustration when classrooms have been fitted with
full spectrum lights.
Pets and Plants Need Full Spectrum Light Too
Just like you, your pets need adequate sunlight -- and will
derive much the same benefit from Way Healthier full spectrum
lighting in your home. With veterinarian bills rivaling
the cost for our own medical bills, boosting their health
is an extra bonus of using full spectrum light ... and just
makes good sense.
Similarly, plants also grow better under full spectrum lights.
Obviously, plants depend on quality light for their growth.
Relying on sunlight coming through windows during part of
the day is not adequate. Add to this other factors such
as air pollution, cloudy weather, and dirty windows (or
no windows) and you can easily see how the addition of full
spectrum lighting will make your green thumb even greener.
What Makes A Light Full Spectrum?
In order to achieve natural balanced sunlight INDOORS, your
light bulbs must contain a full spectrum of color (all the
colors of the rainbow). Full spectrum lighting must contain
infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths. (The hazards
of UV have been vastly exaggerated -- moderate levels of
UV are not only safe, but also essential for good health.)
Way Healthier full spectrum light bulbs contain all these
essential ingredients (full color spectrum, IR and UV) to
help you receive the complete balanced complement of natural
light. There is no such thing as an incandescent full spectrum
light bulb. Neodymium bulbs touted as "full spectrum"
lights will not give you the health benefits of true full
spectrum. Not all fluorescent bulbs are the same .You need
to be aware of to really understand why Way Healthier bulbs
are TRUE full spectrum lights ... and why many bulbs on
the market are not.
Two terms you should understand are Correlated Color
Temperature (CCT) and Color Retention Index (CRI)
Correlated Color Temperature is a
scale used to describe temperature in degrees Kelvin (abbreviated
as 'K'). The CCT rating for a lamp is a general indication
of the warmth or coolness of its appearance. As CCT increases,
that means the appearance of the source light has shifted
from reddish-white toward bluish-white; in other words,
the higher the color temperature, the cooler the color appearance.
Now, this may seem counter-intuitive -- we want to believe
that bluer light sources have a lower or "cooler"
color temperature, and that yellow light sources have a
higher or "warmer" color temperature. However,
the exact opposite is true.
Lamps with a lower color temperature (3500K or less) have
a warm or reddish-yellow to orange-white appearance. Saturated
in red and orange wavelengths, the light brings out warmer
colors such as red and orange more richly. Lamps with a
mid-range color temperature (3500K to 4100K) have a neutral
or white appearance. The light is more balanced in its color
wavelengths. Lamps with a higher color temperature (4100K
or higher) have a cool or bluish-white appearance. So don't
be confused: summer sunlight at noon on a clear day has
a very cool appearance at about 5500K. The light is saturated
in green and blue wavelengths, bringing out cooler object
colors such as green and blue more richly. This color temperature
of 5500K is exactly the temperature found in healthier full
spectrum light bulbs, making them comparable to mid-day
sun, the time of day when the sun has its highest "photobiotic"
activity. The other term you should understand, the
Color Rendering
Index or CRI, describes how a light source makes the color
of an object appear to human eyes; how well subtle variations
in color shades are revealed. CRI is expressed as a rating
from 0 to 100; the higher the CRI rating, the better its
color rendering ability.
Imagine two objects, one red and one blue, which are lighted
by a cool light source with a low CRI. The red object appears
muted while the blue object appears a rich blue. Now take
out the low CRI light source and put in a cool light source
with a high CRI. The blue
object still appears a rich blue, but the red object appears
more like its true color.
One common misconception is that color temperature and color
rendering both describe the same properties of the lamp.
You can see from the above descriptions this is not the
case. Color temperature describes the color appearance of
the light source and the light emitted from it. Color rendering
describes how well the light demonstrates colors in objects.
"Way Healthier' Full Spectrum Light Bulbs Simulate
Natural Sunshine with an Optimal CCT and CRI Yet another
misconception is that all fluorescent lamps are neutral
or cool in color appearance and do not have very good color
rendering ability. This is largely due to the fact that
the typical "cool white" fluorescent lamp has
historically been the industry standard. It has a cool color
(4200K) with a poor CRI rating (62). There are also some
cool white" bulbs on the market with a CRI of 82 and
CCT of 3000-4100K that are being falsely promoted as full
spectrum lights. Unfortunately, this relatively poor color
and harsh yellow color promotes eyestrain and fatigue --
and the technology is over 75 years old! While the manufacturer
can offer these bulbs more cheaply, the light is far from
healthy and will lose its intensity quickly, causing these
bulbs to need replacing every year.
This is simply not the case with more technologically sophisticated
full spectrum lighting found in the Way Healthier bulbs.
So, in order to see how close Way Healthier full spectrum
lights are to the natural goodness of sunshine, compare
the difference between natural outdoor light, Way Healthier
fluorescent full spectrum light, and ordinary fluorescent
light in the spectral distribution charts below:
I'm sure you can see how closely the Way Healthier full
spectrum light bulb simulates the qualities of natural outdoor
light. For even more detailed specifications regarding the
Way Healthier compact fluorescent 30 watt bulb, see the
chart below:
Way Healthier Home Compact Fluorescent Description Light
OutputEnergy Used WattsBulb SizeC.R.I.Kelvin
Temperature
BP-302100 Lumens302 3/8" x 6"935500°10,000120
-- 150 watt
Correspondingly, some other superior features special or
unique to Way Healthier full spectrum light bulbs include:
Long Bulb
Life
These full spectrum light bulbs are rated for 10,000 full
hours of light (compare this to the average light bulb in
your home!)
Flicker-free Electronic Ballast
This electronic ballast reduces flicker and noise -- and
generates virtually no damaging electromagnetic radiation
(EMF). This is yet another reason why these full spectrum
Lights are better than traditional fluorescence, which have
a magnetic ballast that does produce hazardous EMFs.
Compact Size
This Way Healthier full spectrum light bulb is so compact
in size that it will fit into most household lighting fixtures
and lamps.
Quality Rare Earth Phosphors
The quality of a full spectrum light bulb depends largely
on the quality of the full spectrum phosphors used for manufacturing.
A team of experts led by Dr. John Ott, one of
the inventors of full spectrum lighting, designed and developed
a proprietary blend using rare earth phosphors to develop
long-lasting and correct full spectrum light bulbs
at 5500 Kelvin temperature and 93 CRI.
Years of research went into creating this blend of natural
sunlight in a bulb through proper color rendering, full
spectrum color temperature and the science of chromaticity.
This one-of-a-kind Phosphor Lux™ technology is combined
into the Way Healthier full spectrum light bulbs to help
optimize its color ratio and fine tune color perception.
Besides being affordable in cost alone, these Way Healthier
full spectrum lights consume 80% less energy than incandescent
bulbs for the amount of light they produce -- and last about
five times longer. This means that, although they are only
30 watt bulbs, they produce as much light as a typical 150
watt light bulb. So, these full spectrum light bulbs wind
up paying for themselves in decreased energy use and a reduction
in your electric bill. They're not only good for you, but
good for the environment as well.
©Copyright 2006 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved.
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creation and information intact, without specific permission,
when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other
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Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based
upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted.
Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective
author, who retains copyright as marked. The information
on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one
relationship with a qualified health care professional and
is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing
of knowledge and information from the research and experience
of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages
you to make your own health care decisions based upon your
research and in partnership with a qualified health care
professional.
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