#149 | Near Infrared Light (NIR) is the Missing Puzzle Piece | Scott Zimmerman

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Hey Everyone, welcome to WiseAthletes, your source for discovering how to flourish as an older athlete, and find your path to longevity in sport. I'm your host Joe Lavelle.

Today on episode 149 I am starting a 2-part series on Near Infrared (NIR) light, an important environmental factor that our bodies expect to have and need for our health. But in a narrowly focused effort to improve energy efficiency, our society has shifted our indoor lighting to LEDs which are the least power hungry way to illuminate our homes and offices....but in focusing on visible light, we have lost something very important to our health. This loss is compounded by the increase in time spent indoors (estimated at 90%). Part One of the series is with Scott Zimmerman, an optical engineer, who has been focused on quantifying the health effects of natural sunlight and designing indoor lighting that reintroduces near-infrared into our homes and offices (that does not run afoul of the Department of Energy). NIR light acts to increase ATP production and while blue light reduces ATP production. But blocking blue is a half-measure The real problem is the missing NIR light that you can get in the sun (or better yet, shade) if you would only spent a lot more time outside. Or, you can fix your indoor lighting.

Meet Scott Zimmerman

Founder of Silas, Inc., maker of NIRA lighting (https://niralighting.com/). Scott has more than 35 years of experience in the fields of lighting and displays. His innovations and inventions have been used successfully in a wide range of military and commercial products that include night vision displays, liquid crystal display backlighting designs, and lighting fixtures.

• Scott Zimmerman (@SZimmZoo)— optical engineer specializing in building light sources which minimize the health detriments of indoor lighting
• Glen Jeffery (@glen_jeffe5111) — biologist specializing in NIR light effect on the body
• Bob Fosbury (@BobFosbury) — astrophysicist expert in light (electromagnetic waves in frequencies from UV to IR) and penetration into the human body

Website & MedCram videos

• https://niralighting.com/
• https://youtu.be/6Win49aeh8A?feature=shared
• https://youtu.be/16UHK1gPUO8?feature=shared
• https://youtu.be/isz2IQs_EPg?feature=shared
• https://youtu.be/wadKIiGsDTw?feature=shared

Related info and episodes:

• Episode 108 Red-NIR Light Therapy w/Dr Zulia Frost
• Episode 105 -- UV Light Sweetspot w/Prof Prue Hart/

Relevant Scientific Articles:

• Dallaghan, Paul. “Mitochondria (Cellular Energy Batteries) Enhancement with Red Light and Near-Infrared (NIR) Light Therapy.” Samahita Retreat, www.samahitaretreat.com/mitochondria-cellular-energy-batteries-enhancement-with-red-light-and-near-infrared-nir-light-therapy/. Accessed Jan. 26, 2021.
• Reiter, Russel J. and Zimmerman, Scott. “Melatonin and the Optics of the Human Body.” Melatonin Research, February 21, 2019, www.melatonin-research.net/index.php/MR/article/download/19/208?inline=1.
• Grabher-Meyer, Arno. “Interview with Scott Zimmerman -- Reactive Oxygen Species.” LED professional, July/August 2020, www.led-professional.com/downloads/lpr80_full_834991.
• Zimmerman, Scott. “The Role of Reactive Oxygen Species in Infectious Diseases.” Journal of Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology, June 19, 2020, www.clinmedjournals.org/articles/jide/journal-of-infectious-diseases-and-epidemiology-jide-6-134.php?jid=jide.
• Infrared and skin: Friend or foe (Science)
• Effects of artificial dawn on subjective ratings of sleep inertia and dim light melatonin onset (Chronobiology Int)
• Effects of Artificial Dawn and Morning Blue Light… (Chronobiology Int)
• Circadian rhythms in the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis (MCE):https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21782883/
• Evening use of light-emitting eReaders negatively affects sleep (PNAS): https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/112/4/1232.full.pdf
• Ocular input for human melatonin regulation (NEL): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12163843/
• Melatonin and the Optics of the Human Body (Melatonin): https://www.melatonin-research.net/index.php/MR/article/view/19/213
• Melatonin in Mitochondria (APS): https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/physiol.00034.2019
• The health benefits of the great outdoors (Environ): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6562165/
• Interplay between up-regulation of cytochrome-c-oxidase (Nature):https://www.nature.com/articles/srep30540
• Red/Near Infrared Light Stimulates Release of an Endothelium Dependent Vasodilator (FRBM):https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5699925/
• Effect of daylighting on student health (CMSE): http://www.wseas.us/e-library/conferences/2013/Malaysia/MACMESE/MACMESE-20.pdf Shining the Light on Sunshine (Clinical Endo):https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cen.12567
• Associations of Outdoor Temperature (JCEM):https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/104/7/2903/5315432?login=true
• Relationship between sun exposure and melanoma risk (EJC): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3046902/
• Sun exposure and mortality from melanoma (Multicenter): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15687362/
• Avoidance of sun exposure as a risk factor for major causes of death (JIM):https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26992108/
• Interdependence… sun exposure and vitamin D to MRI measures in MS (JNNP):https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23385850/
• Severe Glutathione Deficiency, Oxidative Stress and Oxidant Damage in Adults Hospitalized with COVID-19 (MDPI): https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/11/1/50
• Sunlight (Healthful Living): https://m.egwwritings.org/en/book/388.1702#1702
• Photobiomodulation Therapy (PBMT): What is It? (Shepherd University):https://youtu.be/0MMewRIP51M

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