#032 - Fat Tissue Has Receptors for Sunlight and They Affect Fat Metabolism - Professor Peter Light

humanOS Radio

You probably already know that ambient light regulates circadian rhythms by interacting with light-sensitive neurons in the eye. What hasn’t been clear is whether visible light has physiological effects on other tissues in the body outside of the retina...until now. In this episode of humanOS Radio, Dan talks to Peter Light. Dr. Light is a pharmacologist and a leader in the field of cellular electrical activity. He is chief investigator at the Light Lab at the University of Alberta, and director of the U of A's Alberta Diabetes Institute. He and his research team discovered - largely by accident - that chronic exposure to blue light causes human fat cells to shrink, store less lipid, and alter their function in other ways that are likely relevant to metabolic health. This suggests that subcutaneous fat might be a sort of peripheral biological clock, and raises all sorts of intriguing questions. Could repeated exposure to blue light serve as a protective mechanism against insulin resistance, chronic systemic inflammation, or even obesity? Listen to the interview below to learn more!