- Extended exposure to blue light generated by phones and laptops might make you look older.
- Research suggests that more exposure to blue light triggers stress-hormone.
- Staying away from phone or laptop will induce sound sleep and make you look younger.
We are all surrounded by gadgets and tech toys 24/7. Phones, earphones, smartwatches, and many more gadgets have become a part of our daily life. It is hard to imagine life without our phones these days, but, what if I tell you that these gadgets can make you age faster than you could ever think? That’s true. While we know using too many tech tools can impact our eyesight and overall health, a recent study claims that it might impact our aging process too.
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| Overuse of Smartphones or Laptops Can Make You Age Faster, Claims a New Study |
An animal-model study published in the journal "Frontiers in Aging” reveals that too much exposure to blue light from gadgets like smartphones and laptops may fasten the aging process.
Jadwiga Giebultowicz, co-author of the study from Oregon State University in the US says, “excessive exposure to blue light from everyday devices, such as TVs, laptops, and phones, may have detrimental effects on a wide range of cells in our body, from skin and fat cells to sensory neurons.”
"We are the first to show that the levels of specific metabolites -- chemicals that are essential for cells to function correctly -- are altered in fruit flies exposed to blue light," she added.
The research revealed that fruit flies that were exposed to light 'turn on' their stress-protective genes opposite to those kept in constant darkness for a longer period of time. Scientists compared the amounts of metabolites in flies exposed to blue light for two weeks to those kept in full darkness in order to understand why high-energy blue light accelerates aging in fruit flies.
Researchers examined the cells of fly heads and saw that the number of metabolites in the two sets varied significantly after exposure to blue light. They discovered that glutamate levels were decreased but succinate levels were increased, in particular.
The researchers' observations indicate that the cells in the flies died prematurely as a result of their inadequate functioning. This would also explain their earlier discovery that blue light speeds up aging.
In short, the research implied that flies had a difference in the functioning of metabolites, a substance that is used by the body to break down tissues. More exposure to blue light might trigger the stress hormone in humans too. This triggers the functioning of the cells, making us age faster and look older.
As per reports, the blue light from gadgets suppresses the production of melatonin, the hormone responsible for inducing sleep.
So, reducing the use of gadgets will help you sleep earlier and reduce digital strain.
Reference: Chronic blue light leads to accelerated aging in Drosophila by impairing energy metabolism and neurotransmitter levels, Frontiers in Aging
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