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Published Apr 18, 2022

Using Light (Sunlight, Blue Light & Red Light) to Optimize Health | Huberman Lab Podcast #68

Explore how different wavelengths of light, including sunlight, blue, and red light, can optimize health by influencing hormone regulation, improving mood, and enhancing neuronal health. Andrew Huberman delves into the mechanisms of phototherapy, melatonin management, and red light therapy, offering practical insights for leveraging light exposure to boost well-being.
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  • Light Interaction

    explains how light, as electromagnetic energy, interacts with our bodies. He describes light's various wavelengths, from visible spectrums like blue and red to invisible ones like ultraviolet and infrared, impacting biological processes. This energy can influence everything from skin health to organ repair, with different wavelengths penetrating tissues to varying degrees 1.

    Light impacts us at many different levels, and the so-called levels that I'm referring to are the different wavelengths of light.

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    Understanding these interactions helps us harness light's potential for health benefits 2.

       

    Therapeutic Uses

    Phototherapy offers promising therapeutic applications, such as pain management and mood enhancement. highlights how UVB light exposure can trigger the release of endogenous opioids in the brain, reducing pain perception 3. He suggests a protocol of 20 to 30 minutes of UVB exposure, two to three times a week, to safely harness these benefits 4.

    Most of us should be getting more UVB exposure from sunlight.

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    Additionally, systemic light exposure, involving both skin and eyes, is more effective than localized treatments for broader health improvements 5.

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