If you want your skin to show fewer signs of aging like wrinkles, then you’d do well to put down the cell phone, a new study suggests.
Blue light from screens on smartphones, computers, and other gadgets “may have detrimental effects on a wide range of cells in our body, from skin and fat cells, to sensory neurons,” Oregon State University scientist Jadwiga Giebultowicz said of the study, which was published in the journal Frontiers in Aging.
“Our study suggests that avoidance of excessive blue light exposure may be a good anti-aging strategy,” Giebultowicz added.
Ultraviolet, or UV, rays from the sun harm skin appearance and health. Doctors are continuing to study the damage caused by the screens of devices that most people are exposed to throughout the day. These devices emit blue light.
“Aging occurs in various ways, but on a cellular level, we age when cells stop repairing and producing new healthy cells. And cells that aren’t functioning properly are more likely self destruct — which has ramifications not only in terms of appearance, but for the whole body,” the New York Post wrote. “It’s the reason why the elderly take longer to heal, and their bones and organs begin to deteriorate.”
Giebultowicz said the study shows that certain substances in the body, called metabolites, are essential indicators of how a cell functions. These metabolites are naturally occurring as the body converts food and drinks into energy, a process called metabolism. Research indicates that these substances are altered by blue light exposure.
More specifically, researchers found that levels of succinate, or succinic acid, in fruit flies increased under excessive blue light, while glutamate decreased, the newspaper wrote.
Researchers said the insects “make an appropriate analog for humans” because the same signaling devices are shared.
The flies were exposed with more blue light than people usually get. Giebultowicz said future research is needed on human cells.
Sources:
New York Post: “Your phone is causing wrinkles — and worse ‘detrimental effects’ from blue light.”
Frontiers in Aging: “Chronic blue light leads to accelerated aging in Drosophila by impairing energy metabolism and neurotransmitter levels.”
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