A vivid example of light and dark cycle manipulation to improve or deteriorate health.
There was a time, when chicken used to roam around freely in the farms, exposed to natural sunlight and darkness, natural food and water consumption regulated by the light and dark cycles of nature. They were colorful, healthy and agile.
Genetic selection created a single color broiler chicken, which were exposed to continuous light exposure for 24 hours. Increased duration of light meant, increased consumption of feed, beyond their biological day, which meant increased weight and improved profits. Soon, the producers realized that it is not so profitable. The chicken grew muscles and mass faster but had underdeveloped heart, lungs, skeletal system and circulatory systems.
Continuous exposure to lighting resulted in increased fat deposition, metabolic diseases, skeletal, circulatory and immune system disorders like sudden death syndrome, ascites (water belly), leg problems, increased stress levels and greater fear response.
After several studies and experiments, the producers reduced the photo periods and increased the duration of darkness. Increased darkness meant reduced feed intake (feeding during biological day and fasting during biological night) which slowed down growth. This gave them time for their heart, lungs and skeletal systems to develop healthily before the rapid and dramatic formation of muscle tissue occurs. After this stage, the producers increased the photo periods gradually till the killing time, for accelerating the growth for increased body weight.
Are our children exposed to longer hours of light? - No.
Are our children attaining puberty at an early age? - No.
Are our children over fed? - No.
Are they obese? - No.
Do we have increased fat deposition? - No.
Do we eat beyond our biological day? - Never
Do adults have sudden deaths? - Not at all.
Do we have water belly? - What are you talking about?
Do we have increased stress levels? - You must be joking!
Do you have greater fear response? - How dare you?
If your answers to the above the questions match the answers listed, Sorry for wasting your time!!! Have a look at the videos below, before leaving.
But, if you think light and dark manipulation can impact the human beings in the same way, make earnest efforts to achieve a balance in your and your family's light and dark cycle exposure.
There is enough evidence implicating our prolonged exposure to light and elimination of darkness in our lives is affecting the health of every member in the family. Unfortunately, many of the serious impacts are visible only after many years and even in the next generation.
Increase your daylight intensities and reduce your night time intensities of exposure.Go through my previous posts for more details.
http://www.pjbs.org/ijps/fin576.pdf
http://www.aces.edu/poultryventilation/documents/Nwsltr-6.pdf
http://www.worldpoultry.net/Breeders/General/2011/3/Get-the-light-right-WP008556W/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broiler
What do you think? Share your comments below.
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I aim to spread awareness on the subject of Healthy Lighting designs to facilitate co-creation of healthy lighting at home, work and other social spaces. My posts can be accessed at Archinect and Linkedin Group. I also have a self published book "Healthy Lighting of your Homes" at Amazon.
This blog would attempt to cover basic design factors typically considered in lighting design. In 1998, i was asked about the material of the filament inside the incandescent bulb, for which i did not have a clue, at that time. I am an engineer and i have the aptitude to learn the subject is what i told the interviewer and surprisingly, got into the lighting industry! Perhaps it is that shameful ignorance that gave me a voracious appetite to proactively seek, learn and understand lighting.
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