Has the light color emitted by the LED lights around you ever felt “unnatural”? That is because the spectrum of the LEDs you have been exposed to was very different from what your eyes have evolved to perceive – the light of the Sun. The emission spectrum of the LED lights plays an immense role in defining whether the light you are exposed to is healthy or not. Unfortunately, there is no immediate way of telling what the spectrum of a light source looks like, especially when it comes to polychromatic light. Different spectra can look identical to us because consciously we only see the sum total of all wavelengths and their relative amount. Yet our eyes can distinguish between healthy and unhealthy spectra, and that impacts the physiological processes happening in our bodies every day.

Natural Sunlight has a relatively even spectrum where the relative amount of all wavelengths between 380 nm and 700 nm is similar, only decreasing towards both ends of the spectrum range. In contrast, conventional white LEDs have a characteristic peak in the blue region of the spectrum and a much larger dip in the red region. This results in different physiological processes being initiated on the cellular level of our organisms. Blue light suppresses melatonin, the “sleep hormone”, keeping us alert and preventing our bodies from entering the relaxation mode, thereby disrupting our circadian rhythm (for more information on circadian rhythm, see Human Centric Lighting). Blue light is also more damaging to the retina tissue, and excessive amounts of it can cause damage to the eye. At the same time, a lack of wavelengths from the red side of the spectrum causes insufficient cell regeneration and reduced production of cell energy.

Conventional white LEDs create an imbalance in our bodies, and here is where Sun-Mimic LED diodes enter. The spectrum of Sun-Mimic LEDs is designed to do just that – imitate the spectrum of the Sun that we have evolved to perceive and that our organisms view as natural and healthy. The benefits of Sun-Mimic LEDs include reduced risk to eye tissue, improved cell regeneration and stimulation of a regular circadian rhythm. That results in a healthier, happier life for everyone exposed to Sun-Mimic light.

For more information, check out the Sun-Mimic Brochure in the Downloads section.