Artificial Light Threatens Liver Health and Raises Cardiovascular Risk
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 20 hours ago
We live in a world that never truly sleeps, having successfully turned night into day thanks to readily available illumination. However, recent scientific findings are issuing a stark warning: Artificial Light at Night (ALAN) is not just interfering with our sleep schedule, it is actively making us sick, disrupting core biological processes, and significantly increasing the risks for serious health issues like Cardiovascular Risk and liver disease.
Research is increasingly clear that exposure to more Artificial Light at Night is directly linked to increased brain stress activity and inflammation. This systemic stress and inflammation are believed to indirectly affect metabolic health in the liver. In a broader sense, ALAN reviews confirm its impact on metabolic and mental well-being, including the disruption of liver metabolism.
The critical issue lies in how ALAN derails our body's internal clock—or circadian rhythm. For those who work against this clock over long periods, the risk of developing fatty liver disease increases. Professor Mustafa özçürümez and his team at Knappschaft Kliniken Universitätsklinikum Bochum note that when we stay awake and eat late, or sleep irregular hours because of constant light exposure, our entire metabolism gets derailed. Disregarding the internal clock for years or decades can lead to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), previously known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
The key mechanism driving this biological meltdown is Melatonin. This hormone is essential to our day-night system, released when darkness falls to induce tiredness and ensure restorative sleep. The problem, according to researchers, is that Artificial Light at Night, specifically the blue light emitted by devices like mobile phones, computers, televisions, and streetlights, makes achieving "true darkness" nearly impossible. Disturbingly, even light as dim as ten lux—comparable to the light of a full moon—can make it difficult for the body to produce Melatonin effectively.
The Ruhr University Bochum study highlights that this light-induced disruption of Melatonin production directly affects liver metabolism. Melatonin typically plays a protective role on the liver, making its suppression a serious threat.
Researchers are working hard to break down these complex correlations. Professor özçürümez’s ongoing studies investigate the biorhythms of test subjects with and without fatty liver disease. Participants are monitored 24 hours a day for blood pressure and body temperature, and samples are taken to measure Melatonin levels and other factors. They also wear light sensors for two weeks to precisely record their exposure to both natural and Artificial Light at Night. Furthermore, the team has developed advanced experimental setups, including maintaining pig livers outside the body in nutrient solutions, to study metabolic processes under controlled conditions.
As studies continue to illuminate the precise connections between light and disease, the message for the public is clear: safeguarding your internal clock by prioritizing darkness at night is crucial for protecting your Liver Health and mitigating Cardiovascular Risk. Our internal clocks require true darkness to function optimally; when we bathe our nights in artificial light, we are essentially running a biological engine without necessary rest, resulting in long-term metabolic breakdown.
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Artificial Light Threatens Liver
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