Could the lights in your home be straining your health? Dr. Michael Haga thinks so. Joining Jim Puplava on Financial Sense Newshour, Haga dives into how modern lighting, like LEDs, disrupts our biology. From insomnia’s rise to mitochondria’s needs, Haga champions red light over blue-heavy LEDs, urging a rethink of our indoor glow. Here’s his illuminating take.
Listen to the full audio interview and discussion here: The Insomnia Epidemic: Dr. Michael Haga on Light, Mitochondria, and Sleep.
Light’s Metabolic Power
Haga’s journey into light began with mitochondria—“one of my favorite things I’ve ever studied.” These cellular powerhouses, he explains, burn glucose into CO2 and water, driving metabolism. But light matters. “Some researchers have been discovering… the effect of light on mitochondria,” he notes, citing Dr. Glenn Jeffery’s work at University College London. Jeffery’s studies show red light slashes blood sugar spikes by 20%, while blue light drops CO2 output by 30%, slowing metabolism. “That slows down your metabolism by 30%,” Haga warns—a recipe for weight gain and fatigue.
The Incandescent Advantage
Why ditch incandescent bulbs? Haga traces the shift to 2007’s green energy push under Obama, cemented by Biden, banning them in places like California. “All they care about is visible light… They thought the thermal energy [and infrared light] was a waste.” Yet, incandescents are about 88% infrared and mimic sunlight’s regenerative spectrum. “They… put out red and infrared light, which is very regenerative for your mitochondria,” he says, contrasting LEDs’ blue dominance. A well-lit incandescent home can produce enough infrared light in line with a photobiomodulation device, he adds.
Blue Light’s Sleep Sabotage
Insomnia’s modern epidemic intrigues Haga. “100 years ago, not too many people even had insomnia,” Puplava notes. Haga agrees, linking it to blue light toxicity. “We are blue light toxic,” he asserts, citing Dr. Martin Moore-Ede’s discovery of the suprachiasmatic nucleus—the brain’s master clock. Blue light, abundant in LEDs and screens, signals to us to “wake up,” spiking cortisol. At night? Disaster. “Our… indoor environments are… a thousand times more brightness at night than… the brightest moonlight,” Haga says, tricking circadian rhythms. His patient prescriptions for sleep meds? Skyrocketing.
Red Light Rescue
Red light offers hope. “We respond very well to… red light and infrared light devices,” Haga says, touting benefits like hair growth, wound healing, and mitochondrial boosts. Puplava uses panels and a helmet daily—Haga approves: “The benefits are big.” Jeffery’s research even ties red light to preventing macular degeneration, with FDA nods emerging. “The greatest concentration of mitochondria… is in the back of the eye,” Haga explains, needing red light that LEDs lack. A morning sun dose—or a panel—feeds them right.
Practical Fixes
Can’t swap all LEDs for incandescents? Haga’s got solutions. “I’ve… tracked down an incandescent bulb… put it on [my] desk,” he says. Reptile bulbs from pet stores—legal in California—work too. Blue-blocking glasses are game-changers: “Judah’s time to fall asleep has gone down to 10 or 15 minutes,” he shares of his son. Puplava suggests dim lamps; Haga concurs: “At my house… an hour after sunset, we really dim the lights.” Apps like Light Meter and D Minder, from Dr. Michael Holick, guide sun exposure safely.
Mainstream Momentum
Why isn’t this mainstream? “It’s very hard… for doctors… to do extra learning,” Haga sighs, but we need to be open to new ideas and changing our ways of doing things, he says. Puplava’s doctor didn’t know about red light and photobiomodulation—Haga’s unsurprised: busy schedules stifle curiosity. Yet hope glimmers. “There’s a health revolution going on,” he says, nodding to influencers like Dr. Andrew Huberman and Dr. Peter Attia. The word’s spreading—slowly but surely.
Light Up Your Life
Haga’s parting wisdom? Balance light with bright days and dark nights. Explore luciacyes.com, blockbluelight.com, or niralighting.com for tools. “My sleep has been pretty good… having a bright day and a dim, dark night,” he shares. Dr. Haga’s shining a light on the cure for insomnia and our health’s next frontier—will you flip the switch?
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