Screen devices often emit blue light, a type of luminosity that is being studied for its possible effects on health. A recent investigation carried out by members of the Oregon State University (USA) has revealed that excessive exposure to it could accelerate the aging of cells.
According to the results, which have been released in the journal Frontiers in Aging, blue light from computers, mobile phones, tablets and televisions could negatively affect a wide range of cells in the body, such as those of the skin, fat cells and those of sensory neurons, among others.
This association, according to the authors, is due to the fact that this type of artificial lighting could have the ability to alter the levels of specific metabolites, chemical substances that are crucial for the correct functioning of cells. The study tests were performed on fruit flies.
Blue light could interfere with the normal functioning of cells, causing them to age and die prematurely
The metabolites also have the same function in humans, so this study would indicate that avoiding excessive exposure to blue light could be a good way to slow down aging. The researchers found that fruit flies exposed to blue light turned on stress-protective genes, and those in the dark lived longer.
Increase in succinate metabolites and decrease in glutamate
The research tests consisted of analyzing the levels of metabolites in fruit flies exposed to blue light for two weeks and comparing them with the levels of those that had been completely in the dark. After that time, it was observed that there were important changes in the succinate metabolites, which increased, while the glutamate levels decreased.
“Succinate is essential for producing the fuel for the function and growth of every cell. The high levels of succinate after exposure to blue light can be compared to gasoline that is at the pump but does not get into the car. Another worrying discovery was that the molecules responsible for communication between neurons, such as glutamate, are at the lowest level after exposure to blue light”, explains Dr. Jadwiga Giebultowicz, lead author of the study.
This could indicate that the cells may not be working at a normal level, promoting their premature aging and death. “LEDs have become the primary lighting in displays such as phones, desktops, and televisions, as well as ambient lighting, so humans in advanced societies are exposed to blue light through LED lighting during most of their waking hours,” Giebultowicz concludes.
Although the signaling chemicals in the cells of flies and humans are the same, the authors cautioned that they used a very powerful blue light on flies, so humans, being exposed to less intense lighting, could have a Less intense cell damage. Even so, they insist that more studies must be carried out in this regard to determine the harmful effects of this type of light from screens.
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