According to the results of a study published in the scientific journal Journal of Biological Rhythms (JBR), standard office lighting triggers serious disruptions in the body. Scientists established that the use of fluorescent lamps disrupts daily rhythms and can lead to an increase in glucose levels to the diabetic range, as well as a decrease in sperm motility.
Methodology and experimental results
Nile grass rats, whose activity patterns are similar to humans, were used as subjects. During the first stage of the work, scientists tested the impact of various lighting scenarios on the stability of circadian rhythms.
Research parameters
In the first experiment, animals were kept either under constant daylight, under dynamic lighting simulating sunrise and sunset, or under standard office light. An office lighting mode with the addition of one hour of bright daylight at noon was also applied. The most stable biological clocks were observed in the daylight group, while the weakest were in the office lighting group. Meanwhile, adding one hour of natural spectrum in the middle of the day helped partially restore the rhythms.
Impact on health
The second stage of the study focused on metabolic and reproductive indicators. Comparing the groups kept under daylight and fluorescent lighting showed a significant difference in health status.
Key changes
Although the total sperm count remained unchanged in both groups, their motility under fluorescent lamps dropped by more than two times compared to the indicators of the group kept under daylight.
