Strengthen Your Immune System By Blocking Blue Light

In 1879, Thomas Edison invented the electric light bulb. Since then, technology has changed life as we know it. We became the masters of our domain, but it hasn’t been without consequences. According to the CDC, 35% of Americans are not getting the recommended sleep of seven hours per night. Short-term sleep deprivation has been linked to decreased quality of life, emotional well-being, and a reduction in cognitive functioning, including reduced memory and performance (1).

Long-term sleep disruption has been shown to increase your risk for numerous diseases, including, but not limited to, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, colorectal cancer, and metabolic syndrome (1). I believe excessive nighttime blue light exposure plays a vital role in reducing sleep quality and health due to its detrimental effects on melatonin.

Potent Antioxidant

Free radicals are unstable atoms or molecules that play an important role in keeping you healthy. But when their levels go unchecked, they cause damage in the form of oxidative stress. Excessive oxidative stress formation can increase your risk for numerous diseases (2). Melatonin is 10x more effective than Vitamin C and E at protecting you from these stress-inducing molecules (2). It has also been shown to reduce inflammation and body fat (3,4). A new study has even demonstrated an association between melatonin usage and reduced Covid-19 risk (5).

“We found that melatonin usage was associated with a 28% reduced likelihood of a positive laboratory test result for SARS-CoV-2 after adjusting for age, sex, race, smoking history, and various disease comorbidities.” -Zhou et al., 2020

Melatonin Deficiency

Melatonin is a circadian rhythm hormone that signals rest and recovery. It is created in the pineal gland of the brain when lower levels of light are detected. During a regular rhythm, melatonin will begin to increase around 9:00 pm and reach its peak in the middle of the night. But nighttime light exposure disrupts this sleep cycle by inhibiting and delaying melatonin release.

In the New York Times bestseller, Why We Sleep, Matthew Walker writes,

“Compared to reading a printed book, reading on an iPad suppressed melatonin release by over 50 percent at night. Indeed, iPad reading delayed the rise of melatonin by up to three hours…”

Is There A Solution?

In a perfect world, you would eliminate all artificial light sources and stop engaging with screens after sundown. While ideal, this is far from a realistic solution for many. The modern world requires work to be done at all hours and the pace of life demands us to often keep the lights on well after sundown. So what ARE some steps we can take to battle this negative effect of light and electronics?

Blue Blocking Glasses

Like most, I am often required and, dare I say, even enjoy being on my phone and laptop at night. As a means to combat the detrimental effects mentioned above, I began wearing blue-blocking glasses before bed.

At this point, I look forward to putting my glasses on at 730pm. My eye-strain fades and a calming effect takes hold. In a couple of hours, I am ready for bed. I’ve even gotten a handful of clients and friends on the blue-blocking bandwagon. They have all had similar beneficial effects. Just remember to take the glasses off before going to sleep.

But is there any research to back these claims?

A study sought out to test the effectiveness of blocking blue light at night. The scientists randomized twenty volunteers into two groups.

• Blue blocking glasses

• Non-blue blocking glasses

Both groups went through a baseline assessment to measure their sleep and mood for one week before beginning the study. The group who wore the blue-blocking glasses three hours before rest reported improved sleep quality and mood over two weeks (6).

I understand this is just one study, and you can’t extrapolate too much from it. However, there is conclusive evidence showing nighttime light exposure suppresses melatonin and disrupts our natural circadian rhythm (7-10).

Blue Light Blocking Products

• Fancy Blue Blocking Glasses

• Cheaper Blue blocking glasses

Suppose you aren’t feeling the glasses, no worries. Through modern technology, there are ways in which you can minimize the blue light at the source. A quick search through the app store will allow you to find numerous blue-blocking applications for laptops and phones (F. Lux Blue Blocking App). Also, you can adjust your iPhone’s display by clicking “settings”. Watch the video tutorial below.

For the home and bedroom, I recommend installing Philips Hue Lighting. You can control the light bulb’s color and brightness from the comfort of your phone. Additionally, you can program them to wake you up naturally, mimicking the effects of a sunrise.

Do It For The Melatonin

Melatonin is one of the most vital antioxidants in the body, ten times more effective than vitamin C and E. It helps fight inflammation, body fat, and may reduce your risk of Covid-19. Thus, we should do our best to limit nighttime light exposure to boost our melatonin levels naturally.

Can I Supplement Instead?

I am not recommending you take any supplement. If you do have an interest in supplementation, please talk to your doctor first. Nevertheless, I do supplement with 1.5 mg of melatonin here and there. You can find the supplement below, but make sure you talk to your doctor first.

Melatonin Supplement

Citations

1. Medic, G., Wille, M., & Hemels, M. E. (2017). Short- and long-term health consequences of sleep disruption. Nature and science of sleep, 9, 151–161. https://doi.org/10.2147/NSS.S134864

2. Tan, D. X., Manchester, L. C., Esteban-Zubero, E., Zhou, Z., & Reiter, R. J. (2015). Melatonin as a Potent and Inducible Endogenous Antioxidant: Synthesis and Metabolism. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 20(10), 18886–18906. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules201018886

3. Akbari, M., Ostadmohammadi, V., Tabrizi, R., Lankarani, K. B., Heydari, S. T., Amirani, E., Reiter, R. J., & Asemi, Z. (2018). The effects of melatonin supplementation on inflammatory markers among patients with metabolic syndrome or related disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Inflammopharmacology, 26(4), 899–907. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10787-018-0508-7

4. Mostafavi, S. A., Akhondzadeh, S., Mohammadi, M. R., Keshtkar, A. A., Hosseini, S., Eshraghian, M. R., Motlagh, T. A., Alipour, R., & Keshavarz, S. A. (2017). Role of Melatonin in Body Weight: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Current pharmaceutical design, 23(23), 3445–3452. https://doi.org/10.2174/1381612822666161129145618

5. Zhou, Y., Hou, Y., Shen, J., Mehra, R., Kallianpur, A., Culver, D. A., Gack, M. U., Farha, S., Zein, J., Comhair, S., Fiocchi, C., Stappenbeck, T., Chan, T., Eng, C., Jung, J. U., Jehi, L., Erzurum, S., & Cheng, F. (2020). A network medicine approach to investigation and population-based validation of disease manifestations and drug repurposing for COVID-19. PLoS biology, 18(11), e3000970. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3000970

6. Burkhart K, Phelps JR. Amber lenses to block blue light and improve sleep: a randomized trial. Chronobiol Int. 2009;26(8):1602-1612. doi:10.3109/07420520903523719

7. Potter GD, Skene DJ, Arendt J, Cade JE, Grant PJ, Hardie LJ. Circadian Rhythm and Sleep Disruption: Causes, Metabolic Consequences, and Countermeasures. Endocr Rev. 2016;37(6):584-608. doi:10.1210/er.2016-1083

8. Chang AM, Aeschbach D, Duffy JF, Czeisler CA. Evening use of light-emitting eReaders negatively affects sleep, circadian timing, and next-morning alertness. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015;112(4):1232-1237. doi:10.1073/pnas.1418490112

9. Nagai N, Ayaki M, Yanagawa T, et al. Suppression of Blue Light at Night Ameliorates Metabolic Abnormalities by Controlling Circadian Rhythms. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2019;60(12):3786-3793. doi:10.1167/iovs.19-27195

10. Esaki Y, Takeuchi I, Tsuboi S, Fujita K, Iwata N, Kitajima T. A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of adjunctive blue-blocking glasses for the treatment of sleep and circadian rhythm in patients with bipolar disorder [published online ahead of print, 2020 Apr 10]. Bipolar Disord. 2020;10.1111/bdi.12912. doi:10.1111/bdi.12912

A Simple Tip To Reduce Overeating

Growing up, I was fortunate to have a full plate of food at every meal. Feeding three growing boys added up, so my parents were adamant that we didn’t waste food. If we even thought about not finishing our meal, we were quickly reminded that there were people less fortunate than ourselves.

As a means to do what I was told, despite how full I was, I would scarf down everything on my plate as quickly as I could. After all, I was the youngest AND smallest of three brothers.

My mom would often joke, “You guys eat so fast, can you even taste it on its way down?”

While my competitive level eating skills did come in handy with putting on weight and packing on the muscle for football, it’s a habit that has been hard to break over the years. As an adult, I can be prone to overeating and have had difficulty maintaining a steady weight because of it.

Put the Fork Down

While attending a health and wellness retreat in Costa Rica, I learned an old trick from a Zen Buddhist. He advised me to put my fork down after each bite or to use chopsticks. The belief is that pausing after each bite slows down your eating rate and reduces overeating. But is there any science to back these claims?

Eat Slower

A systematic review of 22 studies found slower eating to be associated with reduced energy intake (1).

“Reducing the eating rate may be an effective intervention to decrease energy intake as part of behavioral strategies to prevent and treat obesity”. -Robinson et al., 2014

Furthermore, a slower chewing rate and smaller bite sizes have been associated with decreased energy intake, whereas the inverse has caused increases in calorie consumption (1). The researchers believe that there might be a muscle memory between bite-size and the feeling of fullness.

“It may be that some people have developed a learned association between the number of sips, bites, or chews and feelings of satiation that bring a meal to an end.  -Robinson et al., 2014

That’s great news, but eating slowly is hard!

While eating, it can be very easy to become distracted by our phones, Television, or even just good old fashioned people watching. We can slip into autopilot and polish off a full plate of food without even realizing it, that is, until the belly bloat and food coma set in, of course.

Sound familiar? Or am I the only one?

Practice Makes Perfect

I’ve implemented the fork strategy over the past month and have definitely seen progress with overeating, but despite this new trick in my arsenal, I still have a LOT of work to do. At times I can get half-way through a big meal while staring at my social media without giving a single bite the attention it deserves. As they say, old habits die hard.

How hard exactly?

Studies have shown that new habits can take up to eight to ten weeks (2), so stick with it and be patient!

Remember, knowledge is not enough to change a routine. If that were the case, we wouldn’t have an obesity epidemic. The time it takes to learn a new behavior depends on how many times and how well you perform the skill.

Through consistent practice you can change your old habits and create healthier new ones. Thus, it would be best to combine education with actionable principles. By putting the fork down after each bite, you are building the muscle to eat slower. It serves as a subtle reminder to slow down and chew your food.

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References

1. Robinson, E., Almiron-Roig, E., Rutters, F., de Graaf, C., Forde, C. G., Tudur Smith, C., Nolan, S. J., & Jebb, S. A. (2014). A systematic review and meta-analysis examining the effect of eating rate on energy intake and hunger. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 100(1), 123–151.

2.  Gardner, B., Lally, P., & Wardle, J. (2012). Making health habitual: the psychology of 'habit-formation' and general practice. The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 62(605), 664–666. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp12X659466

Mouth Breathing & COVID-19 Risk

A comprehensive survey done across the United States found that 60% of the 60,000 adults reported having a stuffed-up nose either every day or most days of the week (1). When the nose is congested, you are forced to breathe through the mouth. Chronic mouth breathing causes your face to narrow and elongate, receding the chin and pushing the head forward (2). These facial abnormalities are not without issues. Mouth breathers are more likely than nose breathers to suffer from ADHD related symptoms and sleep disorders (3). It has also been associated with cardiovascular disease, inflammation, snoring, stress, and tooth decay (3). 

What about you? 

Do you breathe with your nose or your mouth?

Nasal Breathing

Our noses and mouth evolved for two different jobs. The nose is a much better tool for breathing than the mouth. It can clean, moisten, and heat the air before entering your lungs to make it easier to absorb (3). The nose is similar to other muscles in the body; it adapts to the received stimulus. It is a classic example of my favorite movie line; “if you don’t use it, you lose it.”

When you breathe through your nose, the air is forced into the back of your throat, opening the breathing airway. The more you breathe through the nose, the easier it gets. The mouth, on the other hand, doesn’t have this toolset. When you breathe through the mouth, you decrease airway space and reduce the lungs’ ability to absorb oxygen. Not only does the nose augment oxygen absorption, but it also increases a potent molecule called nitric oxide.

“Large amounts of NO are constantly being released in the nasal airways of humans, and the paranasal sinuses seem to be the major source of this NO.” -Lundberg and Weitzberg 1999

Nitric Oxide Benefits

Nitric oxide plays a vital role in regulating blood circulation, energy levels, and many other bodily functions (4). Nasal breathing has been shown to increase NO levels 6-fold compared to mouth breathing, which is correlated with lower NO levels (3,4). If you are a mouth breather, it should be of concern, considering the many benefits of NO. Not only does NO improve performance (5), but it could reduce future infections through its antimicrobial properties against bacteria, fungi, and viruses (2). In fact, multiple studies have proposed nitric oxide therapy as a potential strategy against Covid-19 (2,6,7,8).

-Martel et. al 2020

Practical Recommendations

Luckily, the fix is pretty straight forward. You just have to close your mouth and breathe through your nose. Ideally, you want to inhale and exhale slowly for five seconds. Set a timer for ten minutes and focus on the breath until the timer goes off, or find a couple of your favorite songs.

Hotel California anyone?

Nighttime wise, the best way to improve this behavior is during sleep. Most mouth breathers will unconsciously breathe through their mouth while sleeping. An open mouth can cause snoring, sleep disruption, and dehydration (3). 

It may sound crazy, but a simple solution is to tape your mouth shut while asleep. And don’t worry, nothing terrible will happen. Most experts in the field recommend it. 

“Our anecdotal observations also suggest that favoring nasal breathing during sleep by sealing the mouth with adhesive tape reduces common colds.”-Martel et al. 2020

There are even products out there designed to do it safely and effectively. I recommend using Somnifix, but make sure you talk to your doctor first. I believe there is enough research to suggest nasal breathing as an effective, simple strategy to strengthen your immune system and potentially reduce your risk for infection against Covid-19.

*This blog post is not intended to treat or cure any related symptoms to Covid-19. It is simply theoretical, please consult with your doctor first.

References

1. Stewart, M., Ferguson, B., & Fromer, L. (2010). Epidemiology and burden of nasal congestion. International journal of general medicine, 3, 37–45. https://doi.org/10.2147/ijgm.s8077Jefferson Y. (2010). Mouth breathing: adverse effects on facial growth, health, academics, and behavior. General dentistry, 58(1), 18–80.

2. Martel, J., Ko, Y. F., Young, J. D., & Ojcius, D. M. (2020). Could nasal nitric oxide help to mitigate the severity of COVID-19?. Microbes and infection, 22(4-5), 168–171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micinf.2020.05.002

3. Törnberg, D. C., Marteus, H., Schedin, U., Alving, K., Lundberg, J. O., & Weitzberg, E. (2002). Nasal and oral contribution to inhaled and exhaled nitric oxide: a study in tracheotomized patients. The European respiratory journal, 19(5), 859–864. https://doi.org/10.1183/09031936.02.00273502

4. Bescós, R., Sureda, A., Tur, J. A., & Pons, A. (2012). The effect of nitric-oxide-related supplements on human performance. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 42(2), 99–117. https://doi.org/10.2165/11596860-000000000-00000

5. Adusumilli, N. C., Zhang, D., Friedman, J. M., & Friedman, A. J. (2020). Harnessing nitric oxide for preventing, limiting and treating the severe pulmonary consequences of COVID-19. Nitric oxide : biology and chemistry, 103, 4–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.niox.2020.07.003

6. Hedenstierna, G., Chen, L., Hedenstierna, M., Lieberman, R., & Fine, D. H. (2020). Nitric oxide dosed in short bursts at high concentrations may protect against Covid 19. Nitric oxide : biology and chemistry, 103, 1–3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.niox.2020.06.005

7. Yamasaki H. (2020). Blood nitrate and nitrite modulating nitric oxide bioavailability: Potential therapeutic functions in COVID-19. Nitric oxide : biology and chemistry, 103, 29–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.niox.2020.07.005