Could the night sky predict Alzheimer’s risk?

Depending on where you live, you might experience dark, starry nights…

Or a night sky that never dims.

And believe it or not, that exposure might influence your health.

In fact, research suggests that excessive light pollution might increase your risk of this much-feared diagnosis…

Are you dimming your brain?

Did you know that a clear, starry night has a brightness level of 0.0001 lux? Or that a full moon shines up to 0.3 lux?

By comparison, outdoor lighting—like your typical street lights—throws off a whopping 150 lux of illumination.

Not to mention, the reflection of electric lights off of rain, snow, clouds, and other particles generates a phenomenon called “skyglow”—a form of light pollution that emits 0.1 lux of illumination all by itself.

But have you ever stopped to think about what all of this light pollution might be doing to your health?

That’s what researchers recently set out to explore. And they found a shocking link to Alzheimer’s disease (AD), one of the most-feared diagnoses of our time.

A disturbing link

For the study, researchers looked at light pollution maps from the lower 48 U.S. states.

Next, they categorized light pollution at night into five groups to describe lowest to highest light intensity.

The researchers then analyzed medical data—searching for known risk factors for AD.

Turns out, for those 65 and older, light pollution influenced risk for AD more than alcohol abuse, chronic kidney disease, depression, and obesity.

On the other hand, known AD-risk factors, like diabetes, hypertension, and stroke, exhibited a stronger risk for the disease than did exposure to light pollution.

However, for folks under 65, light pollution skyrocketed AD risk more than any other risk factor!

While the reason why isn’t fully understood, these results certainly made me pause.

So, allow me to remind you of two simple strategies for eliminating light pollution at night:

• Invest in room darkening shades or curtains. This will help keep the skyglow out of your bedroom while you sleep. (A sleep mask will do the trick, too.)
• Be conscious of blue light. Don’t sabotage yourself by soaking up blue light before bedtime. Turn off your electronic devices (yes, that includes the TV) well before you plan to turn in, and keep your other lights dim.

In addition, to learn about an all-natural protocol to protect and restore your memory and fend off dementia, check out my Alzheimer’s Prevention and Treatment Plan. Click here now!

Sources:

“Light pollution can suppress melatonin production in humans and animals.” ScienceDaily, 12/19/2019. (sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/12/191219111431.htm)

“Excessive light pollution may increase risk of Alzheimer’s, especially in younger people.” MDLinx, 09/06/2024. (mdlinx.com/news/excessive-light-pollution-may-increase-risk-of-alzheimer-s-especially-in-younger-people/3AaZKEBOMbXU3mUtJbkL8U)