10/03/2026
A neuroscientist is warning that our dependence on LED lighting could become an “asbestos-level” public-health problem.
The concern isn’t simply that LEDs produce blue light. It’s what most conventional LEDs leave out.
Natural sunlight contains a broad spectrum of wavelengths, including red and near-infrared light. Standard LED lighting, by contrast, is concentrated largely within the visible spectrum and produces very little light beyond roughly 700 nanometers.
That difference could matter to our mitochondria — the microscopic structures responsible for producing cellular energy.
Research led by University College London scientist Glen Jeffery has found that mitochondria respond differently to different wavelengths of light. Shorter blue wavelengths around 420–450 nm can suppress mitochondrial respiration in experimental models, while red and near-infrared wavelengths around 670–900 nm have been associated with increased mitochondrial activity.
In a 2026 study published in Scientific Reports, researchers supplemented an LED-lit workplace with broader-spectrum lighting extending into the infrared for two weeks. Participants subsequently showed significant improvements in measures of color-contrast vision, with effects persisting for weeks after the supplemental lighting was removed.
But that comparison should not be mistaken for an established scientific conclusion. The research does not prove that ordinary LED bulbs cause an asbestos-like burden of disease, nor does it establish that people living under LEDs are literally being “starved” of infrared light. The 2026 study primarily examined visual performance, while broader effects on metabolism, aging and disease remain areas of active research.
Still, the findings raise a fascinating question about modern life: we engineered indoor lighting around what our eyes can see and how little electricity it consumes — but did we overlook wavelengths that the rest of our biology may respond to?
Source: Barrett, E. M. & Jeffery, G. (2026). LED lighting (350–650 nm) undermines human visual performance unless supplemented by wider spectra (400–1500 nm+) like daylight. Scientific Reports, 16, 3061.
