Since the beginning of human history, people have lived and worked outdoors during the light of day, active and vibrant, absorbing the full spectrum of light energy from the sky. An average of 10 hours each day, 70 hours weekly, was common. In less than two hundred years, most of humanity has become contemporary cave dwellers living and working under limited spectrum light. Research conducted by Dr. Daniel Kripke, Professor of Psychiatry Emeritus, UCSD, suggests that many of us receive less than 30 minutes of quality light each day.
This radical shift away from nature's energy source, means that most of us use less than one tenth of the sun's 'light voltage’ that our genes are programmed to run on. Humanity is now unwittingly starving for life-energizing sunlight, which includes ultra violet light (UV), while receiving too much artificial indoor light, especially at night. We are suffering from what pioneering photobiologist Dr. John Ott called, "mal-illumination…the silent epidemic!"
Today, Dr. Ott is regarded as the father of full-spectrum light and an early proponent of UV's unique and essential health benefits. Research conducted by Dr. Ott and others utilizing an innovative health light system designed by him, suggests enhanced health and wellness benefits for people, pets and plants while in the indoor environment. Of special note; remarkable 'passive learning benefits' were observed in school children in the classroom, especially those with activity or learning difficulties.
In addition to being a photobiology pioneer, Dr. Ott was also a time lapse photography innovator whose works included film segments for Walt Disney and Paramount Studios. His 'graphic' research utilizing time lapse photography and a dark field microscope allowed him to see what no man had ever seen before — time lapse sequences of light’s biological effects on living cells. Having collaborated and associated with Dr. Ott for several years, we are truly pleased that our research plans build on Dr. Ott's insightful work, advances his light technology and leverages his 'enlightened message' to the global e-audience.
Many years of research led Dr. Ott to conclude that light enters our eyes and converts to photo-current in the retina. This subtle ‘light voltage’ travels to the visual cortex which allows us to see. Light also travels to the brain’s main control center, the hypothalamus, where it helps regulate and control our entire brain chemistry. Mal-illumination silently alters the quality and flow of photo-current, hence our brain chemistry progressively becomes imbalanced and our energy levels may drop or vacillate. This falling out of sync with nature’s rhythm compromises our immune systems and opens the door to disease.
Got rhythm?
There is order in the universe and a cyclic rhythm in nature that is interconnected to circadian rhythms in man. Man's circadian rhythms are the patterns of sleep, hormone production, cell regeneration and other biological processes that are all linked to the body’s internal clock and regulated by a 24 hour daily cycle of light and darkness. Early morning sunlight thru the changes of light at dusk are nature's vital 'light-cues' that help synchronize our circadian rhythms.
Stop taking your vitamins in the dark!
Sunlight’s various energy wavelengths that reach earth naturally, from UV thru infrared light, are actually bio-nutrients that interact with the body much the same way as vitamins and supplements; different light wavelengths elicit varying biological responses. The natural manufacture of vitamin D in the body, for example, requires wavelengths in the UV range for production to occur in the skin.
In addition to being a nutrient, light is also a very unique catalyst. Research has shown that every food, vitamin, mineral and supplement requires a specific wavelength interaction in order to be fully metabolized. Without the correct wavelengths, absorption is incomplete and most nutrients from food, vitamins, minerals and supplements are less effective. That's right — you may not be optimizing the absorption of nutrients and vitamins because of a lack of the specific light wavelengths that are necessary for natural metabolism and optimum absorption.
