Longevity Project - Blue light and wearing sunglasses at night.
The sun has set a few hours ago as I write this but I am wearing sunglasses. Why? As I sit here in front of my computer screen I am basking in the blue light of my computer screen, and the fluorescence of the lights from overhead. As part of the equation in striving for longevity it is necessary to look beyond the structures of our body and the building blocks which might fuel this. It is important to address the environmental factors which are a barrier to our best efforts.
Thousands of years ago, the only light that our most distant ancestors had was from the sun, or the reflected glory from the moon. Eventually in relatively recent times we discovered the warm light from fire. Only within the last few seconds of our time have we developed lights from electricity and most recently from LEDs.
...we may be paying a price for basking in all that light. At night, light throws the body's biological clock—the circadian rhythm—out of whack. Sleep suffers. Worse, research shows that it may contribute to the causation of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Source
It is suggestive that elements that are introduced to our bodies which are novel our bodies are unable to make use of them. So not only does the blue light which we experience from our devices disrupt our circadian rhythms but also this light might be toxic as well. Dr. Jack Kruse an American neurosurgeon states "only four days of simulated night shift work is enough to reduce insulin sensitivity" Source. While I haven't identified the specific mechanism personally there is probably a feedback loop involved.
During the day animals consume food which is used for immediate requirements or stored for use during the night time. When it turns dark, the system almost works in reverse ... fats are broken down for energy and proteins are used to rebuild tissues. Hormones which are probably disrupted by poor quality light include melatonin and leptin while hormones such as cortisol are exacerbated.