Most people know about vitamin deficiencies, but few realize we are suffering from something even deeper — a solar deficiency. According to optics engineer and light researcher Scott Zimmerman who joined us on Quantum Healthy, “We are going through the largest reduction in solar exposure in human history.” For millions of years, sunlight guided our biology, bathing us in a full spectrum of energy — from ultraviolet (UV) to visible and near-infrared (NIR) light. Today, most of us live under artificial lighting, deprived of the wavelengths our bodies evolved to depend on.
We are designed to live as solar-powered beings, but modern life has dimmed our natural energy source.
Light: The Forgotten Nutrient
Sunlight is far more than what we see. When it hits our skin, it doesn’t just illuminate; it activates. Light is absorbed and scattered within tissues, fueling mitochondria and cellular repair. Among all wavelengths, near-infrared (NIR) light is the quiet hero — invisible, yet profoundly healing.
Zimmerman’s collaboration with Professor Russell Reiter, the world’s leading melatonin expert, revealed that NIR light stimulates the body to produce melatonin inside our cells during the day — not just in the pineal gland at night. This “subcellular melatonin” acts as the body’s oldest and most powerful antioxidant, keeping oxidative stress in check and supporting redox balance.
As Zimmerman explains, “Sunlight used to represent the largest energy input into the body.” Without it, our cells lose their calibration — and our health, vitality, and mood decline.
The Hidden Danger of Artificial Lighting
Most modern light sources — LEDs, fluorescents, and screens — emit strong blue light but almost no infrared. This creates an unnatural imbalance. Blue light itself isn’t harmful; in fact, it’s essential in the right context. But without the balancing presence of red and NIR light, it drives excessive oxidative stress, disrupts circadian rhythms, and alters hormone balance.
Zimmerman reminds us: “Blue light shouldn’t get the bum rap it gets; if enough red were there, it would be great.” The issue is that today, we are surrounded by thousands of artificial suns inside our homes, with none of the healing wavelengths that accompany natural sunlight.
This “processed light” — much like processed food — lacks the invisible nutrients our biology depends on. Studies now link narrowband visible-only light to sleep disruption, hormonal imbalance, and even cortical thinning in children’s brains!
Sunscreen, Screens, and the Modern Shadows we Create
For decades, we’ve been told to fear the sun. We slather on sunscreen, stay indoors, and avoid midday light. Yet research suggests this avoidance may cause more harm than good. In a Swedish study, women who avoided sunlight had higher overall mortality than those who spent time outdoors.
Zimmerman points out that NIR exposure before UV light can provide natural protection equivalent to SPF 15 — nature’s own sunscreen. When we block sunlight entirely, we block the signals our body needs to maintain balance. The result is not safety, but biological confusion.
Our bodies evolved to interact with full-spectrum light — to feel warmth, absorb photons, and convert them into biochemical energy. Sunscreens, LEDs, and tinted glass all filter this relationship, leaving us photobiologically undernourished.
Children: The Canary in the Photonic Coal Mine
Our children are growing up in a world where sunlight is optional — and their biology is showing the effects. Constant exposure to artificial blue-only light raises cortisol levels and suppresses melatonin, keeping their systems in a perpetual stress mode.
Zimmerman warns that kids’ bodies “assume the light is there,” but our modern environment denies them that input. His advice is refreshingly simple: “Build a treehouse.” Let them play outside. Morning and afternoon sunlight deliver the broad spectrum their bodies expect — including the infrared wavelengths that nurture growth and repair.
Bringing the Sun Indoors
Of course we cant truly do that but at least we can attempt better than the status quo of high energy blue LEDs. I defer to Dr Jack Kruse’s continual message: The SUN = TINA (There is no Alternative). Knowing that most people can’t live outdoors, Zimmerman founded NIRA Lighting, a company creating the first near-infrared enhanced LED bulbs. These lights restore the missing wavelengths that make natural sunlight so healing.
Their slogan captures it perfectly: “The light you need is more than the light you see.”
These innovations bridge the gap between efficiency and wellness, offering a light source that mimics the balanced warmth of an incandescent bulb while maintaining energy savings. But Zimmerman’s real mission goes beyond technology — it’s about restoring our biological relationship with light.
“If the consequence of saving a little energy is people get sick more,” he says, “there is no energy saving.”
Rediscovering the Light Within
We are not just chemical organisms — we are photonic beings. Every cell in our body is designed to capture and respond to light. When we lose that connection, we lose part of what makes us thrive.
The cure for solar deficiency is simple: step outside. Watch the sunrise. Let natural light touch your skin. Even a few minutes a day helps your body rebalance hormones, improve mood, and restore melatonin and mitochondrial health.
As Zimmerman reminds us, “Processed light is more important than processed food.”
So next time you reach for your phone, step outside instead. The most powerful medicine might already be shining above you — free, full-spectrum, and waiting to be absorbed.
Scott Zimmerman’s Papers:
- Melatonin & The Optics of The Human Body
- Melatonin: Both a Messenger of Darkness and a Participant in the Cellular Actions of Non-Visible Solar Radiation of Near Infrared Light
- Transient Responses of Melatonin to Stress
Stay tuned for the Timestamps below…
How are You Protecting Yourself from Artificial Blue Light?
As you may know, VivaRays is now sponsoring the Quantum Healthy podcast! You can use the code QUANTUMHEALTHY for 15% off your purchase. These are by far the best blue blockers on the market in my opinion and I have been an affiliate for a couple of years now.
- LINK: https://vivarays.com/QUANTUMHEALTHY
- CODE: QUANTUMHEALTHY
What’s New at LauraKissmannWellness?
Here is the snapshot….
Podcast: We are celebrating our 50th Episode!! I also just had the privilege of meeting my podcast partner Andeea in person in California! She is even more amazing than I could have imagined.
Coaching:
- Group Coaching: Week 36! Join us anytime – you just have to be coachable and want to reach new health goals through learning Quantum Health Strategies. 22$/month. We meet lunchtime Wednesdays. Recordings and slides shared afterwards.
- Personal Coaching: Limited spaces for Private Quantum Nutrition Clients
- Access Consciousness Bars Limited spaces but I will make time for this lovely effective modality!
- Fitness Coaching: I continue to study Mobility, Longevity and KneesOverToesGuy to improve my Healthy Knees AF class weekly. Anytime Fitness just got this recent unsolicited testimonial with a Key Metric of 10 – “Love Julia’s Step Class and the Healthy Knees Class with Laura” Definitely made my day.
Dog Boarding: Room boarders and day sits. DM/email me if you can’t find me on Rover.com – laurakissmann1@gmail.com
Phototherapy
- FIR Sauna: This is a great time of year to start your FIR sauna sessions while we spend more time indoors and become infrared deficient.
- Lifewave: Just back from a business trip to Anaheim, California to attend the Global Lifewave Conference. It was far beyond my expectations and will share a blog on it next.
- Red Light Therapy – I have room for appointments; I also have rental options if you have had surgery, severe pain and can’t make it here. Try this before opiates to manage pain & inflammation
EMF Home Testing – Find out how to lower your nnEMF load!
Christmas is Coming…
Just a reminder I have a new Resources page with Affiliate links and some holiday codes as vendors share them to us privately. You can find healthier lighting options, Red Light Therapy units, Blue blockers, grounding shoes, water units etc.
Episode 49 – Scott Zimmerman
Scott Zimmerman is an optics engineer with over 35 years of experience in the industry and over 80 US patents. In the last decade, Scott has turned his attention to how light interacts with the body. This has led him to becoming an expert on the physiology of melatonin and how NIR/IR light interacts through living tissue. Scott is an expert in optics and has focused his attention on quantifying the health effects of natural sunlight. Scott has unparalleled knowledge about how light interacts with systems.
His innovations and inventions have been used successfully in a wide range of military and commercial products that include night vision displays, liquid crystal display backlighting designs, and lighting fixtures. More recently, he has been working closely with world-renowned researchers in the field of biology, looking closely at the relationship between natural light rich in near-infrared, melatonin and cortisol. His publications are alongside Professor Russel Reiter, the world’s expert in melatonin. Scott’s insights are profound and are changing the way we perceive our relationship with light and why we are yet to get a grip on diseases of modern life.
Scott has also started a company, NIRA, and seeks to integrate the best of LED technology and the best of incandescent technology to make lightbulbs that are safe and provide much-needed NIR wavelengths absent in modern fixtures.
Find Scott:
- NIRA Lighting
- Contact Scott
- LinkedIn: / scott-zimmerman-29b7b59
Timestamps:
- 00:00 – Intro
- 01:17 – How Scott Got Into Studying Light
- 08:14 – Melatonin and Cortisol: The Yin and Yang of Hormones
- 19:29 – How Light Affects Children
- 24:55 – Blueburns: The Sunscreen Effect of Near Infrared Light
- 34:41 – Cancer and Light Exposure
- 42:56 – Skin Color and Light Sensitivity
- 50:39 – Harmful Effects of Artificial Light at Night
- 1:02:13 – NIRA Lighting Technology
- 1:08:46 – Best Color Light for Reading
- 1:12:30 – Signature Question: What does Quantum Healthy mean to you?
- 1:15:20 – Where to Find Scott
- 1:18:20 – Outro
Disclaimer
The information shared in this post and interview is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional for specific medical guidance and treatment.
Leave a Reply