136: Scott Zimmerman - The Hidden Power of Sunlight: How Infrared Light Fuels Your Biology

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"There are dozens of ways to quantify sunlight. And it matters how we present the data because it can mislead, hide, or enlighten," says Scott Zimmerman, who joins the Quantum Biology Collective Podcast to reveal how our understanding of light's impact on health is fundamentally flawed. Zimmerman explains that by reframing how we measure sunlight—focusing on photons per second per area per energy unit—we can better grasp its crucial role in metabolic health.

Zimmerman unveils groundbreaking insights into the body's quantum-level interactions with light, particularly in the infrared spectrum. He discusses how this knowledge could revolutionize our approach to lighting, potentially addressing the surge in metabolic diseases. Zimmerman also shares startling findings on how artificial lighting affects our biology, including impacts on color perception and hormone regulation.

Tune in to today's episode to learn why your office lighting might be sabotaging your health, how sunlight acts as a "battery" for your body, and why the shade might be more beneficial than you think. Discover the hidden quantum world influencing your health with every photon.

5 Key Takeaways

1. Get regular exposure to full-spectrum sunlight, especially during daytime hours. This provides the broadband light our biology needs for optimal functioning.

2. When indoors, use lighting that mimics natural sunlight's spectrum, including infrared wavelengths. Consider replacing LED bulbs with full-spectrum alternatives.

3. Limit exposure to narrow-spectrum artificial light, particularly at night. This includes reducing screen time before bed and blocking out streetlights in sleeping areas.

4. Spend time outdoors in natural shade when possible. Shade provides beneficial infrared light without excessive UV exposure.

5. For children, prioritize outdoor time and full-spectrum lighting even more, as their developing bodies are especially sensitive to light exposure.

Memorable Quotes

1. "We need to reframe the way we think about light from just something we need to see to an essential life source, food source for our body, just in a different form."

2. "There is a huge difference, even the 850nm helped a little bit on some of the color contrast, but it was really the incandescent that saw the big change. I would argue if he could actually do a controlled experiment with sunlight, you would see improvement even further."

3. "We're now moving from 'go do something and a day or two later, test it' to a timescale of minutes. Once you start doing that, you see all these different processes responding. The body can't wait four hours to respond to a major event or even a small event like a burn."

Connect with Scott

Website - Niralighting.com

LinkedIn post mentioned: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/scott-zimmerman-29b7b59_hopefully-we-can-move-on-now-activity-7338924880366592001-axmI

Resources Mentioned

Sweat Sensor: https://www.cortiwearable.com/

Nira Lighting: https://niralighting.myshopify.com/

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