Neuroscientist warns common household item is a public health emergency on the same level as asbestos

Many of us have them in our homes and at offices — but a neuroscientist is warning that one household staple may be a major threat to your health.Glen Jeffery, a professor of neuroscience at University College London, is sounding the alarm about what he calls a “clear and present public health emergency” that no one seems to be talking about.He has gone so far as to compare the item to asbestos — once widely used in building materials before people realized it can cause issues like mesothelioma and lung cancer.The health threat? Energy-efficient light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs, which are present in schools, offices, hospitals and nearly half of US households — and could possibly raise the risk of diabetes and other metabolic disorders, according to Jeffery.“LED lighting is damaging mitochondria and therefore there is no question you’re damaging systemic health,” Jeffrey told The European.

“This is a clear and present public health emergency and we need to take action.”One study have found that daily exposure to short-wavelength blue light reduced measures of mitochondrial activity by about 50% in mice.Another study found that exposure to blue-enriched LED lighting altered activity, metabolism and liver function in mice.Mitochondria play an important role in producing energy and regulating metabolism, and mitochondrial dysfunction has been linked to aging and disease.Jeffery believes the effects could be driven by changes in signaling throughout the body.“The mitochondria there send messages around in your blood,” he explained.“It changes the blood signaling through what are called cytokine profiles.

The mitochondria form a community and signals are sent throughout your body.”Not everyone is convinced.The European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks (SCHEER) concluded that “there is no evidence of direct adverse health effects from LEDs in normal use by the general healthy population.”Th...