The lights that illuminate your home are bringing darkness into your life. Know how they are causing cancer?

News Topical, Digital Desk : The blue light of streetlights, LED screens, and mobile phones may have become a part of modern life. However, numerous studies suggest that this artificial light can pose a health risk. In fact, several international studies have shown that exposure to artificial lights at night can increase the risk of cancer. So, let's explain how the very lights that illuminate your home are bringing darkness into your life and causing cancer.

Melatonin can affect tumor growth

Research conducted by the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences found that exposure to artificial light at night suppresses levels of the hormone melatonin. This hormone regulates sleep and the body's circadian rhythm and also has anti-tumor properties. Research also found that women whose sleep was disrupted by light had reduced anti-cancer activity in their blood. Meanwhile, the blood of those who slept in complete darkness slowed tumor growth in animal models. This research was published in the journal Cancer Research in 2005.

The blue light of LED is also a cause of danger

Meanwhile, researchers from the University of Exeter and the Barcelona Institute of Global Health in the UK conducted research on approximately 4,000 people in Madrid and Barcelona. They found that high exposure to blue light from LEDs can increase the risk of breast and prostate cancer by approximately one and a half times. According to the researchers involved in this study, blue light disrupts the body's circadian rhythm, which can lead to hormonal imbalances.

Working night shifts is also dangerous.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer has already categorized night shift work as a potential cancer risk factor. Research suggests that nighttime light suppresses melatonin and may affect estrogen activity. A 2016 global study analyzed data from 158 countries. It found that areas with higher levels of artificial light at night had higher overall cancer rates and higher incidences of lung, breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers. Furthermore, another study found that people living in areas with higher levels of artificial light also had a higher risk of thyroid cancer.

How to prevent it?

Experts say that it's impossible to completely avoid light in modern life. However, some precautions can reduce the risk. Using dim lights at night, limiting mobile and screen use, using blue light filters or night mode, and keeping the room dark while sleeping can all help.

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