 |
 |
Frequently Asked Questions SEARCH 
Question: Is full spectrum light also good for animals, pets and houseplants?
Answer: Yes, there are numerous books that document the positive effects of full spectrum light on plants and animals (see “Recommended literature”).
Question: Do you get a tan from full spectrum light?
Answer: No, the amount of UV associated with the luminous intensity of full spectrum LifeLite lamps is too low to cause the skin to tan, and consequently it also does not cause sunburn.
Question: Can I dispose of the LifeLite full spectrum energy saving bulbs and tubes in the usual way with my household rubbish?
Answer: Like all energy saving light bulbs and fluorescent tubes, LifeLite energy saving light bulbs and fluorescent tubes must also be disposed of properly in hazardous waste.
Question: Where can I get more information about full spectrum lighting?
Answer: Recommended literature about health and light:
Light – Medicine Of The Future
How we can use it to heal ourselves NOW
Dr. Jacob Libermann, O.D., Ph.D.
Bear & Company Publishing – ISBN 0-879181-01-0
SUNLIGHT
Dr. Zane R. Kime
World Health Publications – Penryn, CA, USA
Winter Blues
Seasonal Affective Disorder
Dr. Norman E. Rosenthal, MD
Guilford Press – New York, NY, USA – ISBN 1-57230-395-6
Health and Light
The effects of natural and artificial light on living beings
John N. Ott
Ariel Press – Columbus, Georgia, USA – ISBN 0-89804-098-1
Question: Does full spectrum light also help in cases of SAD, the depression caused by a lack of daylight?
Answer: This term coined by Dr. Norman E. Rosenthal describes a form of depression that is characterised by symptoms such as
- extreme variations of mood
- a reduction in energy
- over-eating
- increased need for sleep
- weight gain
- a reduction in sexual drive
- occurring typically in the winter months
According to a study by Dr. Leora N. Rosen in collaboration with the NIMH, the Psychiatric Institutes of America, the New York State Psychiatric Institute and the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, SAD occurs more frequently in the northern latitudes than in the south (cf. Dr. Norman E. Rosenthal “Winter Blues”).
Dr. Rosenthal has carried out a double blind study on the treatment of SAD in collaboration with Dr. Thomas Wehr. The results showed that all patients who spent time under full spectrum light felt considerably better, whilst patients with normal artificial light showed no improvement.
>see the article "Sunshine is life"
Question: How important is UV light for plants and life in general?
Answer: In the early 1950s Walt Disney asked the well-known photographer and biologist John Ott to make a time-lapse film of an apple from the bud to the ripe fruit. It was to be used for the film "Secrets of Life", released in 1957.
For time-lapse photography it is extremely important that the object does not move, and so a glass box was built around the apple in order to protect it from the wind. At the end of the filming all the apples on the tree were beautifully red and juicy – only the apple in the glass box looked small, green and sickly. This was clear evidence of the importance for plant growth of the UV light that was filtered out by the glass.
>see the article "Sunshine is life"
Question: Question: Does full spectrum light improve reading and vision?
Answer: Everyone will know from their own experience that they can see and read better in sunlight than in traditional artificial light. Under full spectrum light, colours are rendered true to the original and the contrast is very sharp and flicker free. Consequently eye fatigue is reduced and reading or seeing – e.g. when working with very small components – is made easier.
Question: Can I alleviate the consequences of jet lag or shift work with full spectrum light?
Answer: Our bodies need clear information about day and night in order to regulate our growing and sleeping phases and the biorhythms associated with these. During periods of darkness more melatonin is produced and this gives a signal to the body that it is time to sleep. On the other hand, bright full spectrum light suppresses the production of melatonin and puts people into an obvious state of wakefulness. If parts of the light spectrum are missing, the body is left in a twilight state, not fully awake and not sleeping.
Question: What are the benefits of full spectrum light for me and my health?
Answer: Numerous books (see “Recommended literature”) document the fact that full spectrum light can be a help in the following situations:
- Season Affective Disorder (depression caused by lack of sunlight)
- Improvement of the sight as a result of very sharp contrast and improved colour rendering
- Improvement of concentration and performance in schoolchildren
- General wellbeing
Full spectrum light is also used as a prophylactic for daily light therapy.
>see the article "Sunshine is life"
Question: Is full spectrum light absorbed by the eyes or via the skin?
Answer: For full spectrum light to be effective, it is crucial that the light is absorbed by the eyes. Prof. Dr. Fritz Hollwich, Director of the University eye Hospital in Münster, Germany made the discovery that only about 25 per cent of the light that is absorbed via our eyes is used for vision, passing along the part of the optic nerve that deals with vision. The remaining 75 per cent travels into the brain and hypothalamus – the body’s main control centre – via the part of the optic nerve that deals with energy. This controls our nervous and endocrine systems, also affecting among other things the whole of our glandular and hormone system. At the same time the hypothalamus is responsible for controlling many functions which are typically defective in people who suffer from depression.
The UV component of the light works primarily through the skin, where it stimulates the synthesis of Vitamin B.
>see the article "Sunshine is life"
Question: Should I protect my eyes from full spectrum light by wearing sunglasses?
Answer: Basically we recommend that people who wear glasses should remove these during light therapy with LifeLite lamps so that the UV component of the light which is important for our well being is not filtered out. The UV component associated with the luminous intensity of full spectrum lamps is very small.
In any event you should consult your doctor, particularly if your eyes are very sensitive to light.
Question: What proportion of UV should full spectrum light ideally contain?
Answer: Everything depends on the correct dosage. A certain amount of the right components of UV radiation is very important for our health (cf. Dr. Zane R. Kime: “Sunlight Could Save Your Life”).
Since the hole appeared in the ozone layer of our atmosphere, more and more very short-wave UV-C rays have been hitting the Earth's surface.
Previously we had been protected from these by the atmosphere. The damage that they cause is generally bringing UV light more and more into disrepute.
LifeLite lamps emit about 4% UVA, about 0,2% UVB and no UVC. Sunlight measured over Stuttgart, Germany (abot 49 degree latitude) on July 27, 2005 at noon time on a clear sky emitted about 5,4% UVA, 1,2% UVB and about 0,2% UVC. (see spectral analyses)
However, the main difference is that LifeLite lamps have a luminous intensity of about 2,000 lux maximum at a distance of ½ metre, whilst the sun has a luminous intensity of 50,000 and 100,000 lux depending on the time of year. In addition the LifeLite lamps do not have any UV-C component.
However, if you have any doubts you should consult your doctor.
>see the article "Sunshine is life"
Question: What savings in energy costs will I be able to enjoy if I use LifeLite full spectrum daylight energy saving light bulbs instead of normal bulbs?
Answer: You will use 75 per cent less electricity than with a normal light bulb. Additionally, LifeLite bulbs last about ten times as long as normal light bulbs.
Question: In which wattages are the LifeLite full spectrum daylight light bulbs available?
Answer: LifeLite full spectrum daylight energy saving light bulbs are available in the following wattages:
- 9W – E14 candle – as bright as a normal 25W bulb
- 11W – E14 candle - as bright as a normal 40W bulb
- 11W – E14 spiral - as bright as a normal 40W bulb
- 15W – E27 spiral - as bright as a normal 60W bulb
- 20W – E27 spiral - as bright as a normal 75W bulb
- 23W – E27 spiral - as bright as a normal 100W bulb
- 26W – E27 spiral - as bright as a normal 120W bulb
- 32W – E27 spiral - as bright as a normal 130W bulb
- 40W – E27 spiral - as bright as a normal 160W bulb
>see Products
Question: Are LifeLite full spectrum daylight energy saving light bulbs dimmable?
Answer: No, they are not dimmable.
Question: Can LifeLite full spectrum daylight energy saving light bulbs be used in all types of light shade?
Answer: Completely enclosed light shades should be avoided because the bulb becomes hot and this can shorten the life of the bulb. In general it is sensible to choose a lampshade of a neutral colour as the effect of full spectrum light is mainly achieved through the colour of the light source.
Question: How exactly is the spectrum of full spectrum light made up?
Answer: The spectrum of LifeLite light bulbs goes from 290 to 800 nanometres. This range is made up as follows:
>see Spectral analysis
- 290 – 320 nm UV-B
- 320 – 380 nm UV-A
- 380 – 420 nm violet
- 420 – 490 nm blue
- 490 – 575 nm green
- 575 – 585 nm yellow
- 585 – 650 nm orange
- 650 – 750 nm red
- 750 – 800 nm infrared
Question: What is full spectrum light?
Answer: Like sunlight, full spectrum light contains the full colour spectrum of the rainbow – both those components which are visible to us and those which are invisible. At the same time it is important that it contains the visible colours in relatively equal proportions and that the spectral progression is continual (i.e. that there are no gaps in the spectrum).
>see Spectral analysis
Question: What lamp fittings are suitable for LifeLite full spectrum daylight energy saving light bulbs?
Answer: LifeLite full spectrum daylight energy saving light bulbs are available for E27 (standard European screw fitting), E26 (North American screw fitting), E14 (small screw fitting for candle bulbs) and B22 (bayonet fitting, mainly found in Great Britain, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and France). We also make fluorescent tubes.
Question: At what room temperatures can I use LifeLite light bulbs?
Answer: LifeLite light bulbs can be used at room temperatures from -10 to +45 degrees Celsius.
Question: What colour is the light from LifeLite full spectrum daylight light bulbs?
Answer: LifeLite full spectrum daylight light bulbs have a colour temperature of 5800 degrees Kelvin. That means that the light is white, like the midday sun.
>see Spectral analysis
|
|
|
|
