Behind The Mic With Joe Mathieu: Blue Light Found More Effective Than Coffee

BOSTON (CBS) – It sounds like science fiction. Light waves that make your brain work better.

But a new study in Sweden finds this is science fact.

Indeed, exposure to blue light can help to make the brain more alert, according to researchers at Mid Sweden University. They compared the effects of the light waves and caffeine on the brain and found a couple of things.

For starters, people exposed to blue light performed better on tests of brain function that included a distraction. Those on caffeine had trouble focusing. The light was also found to improve memory and reaction time.

And it works fast. Another study found blue light takes less than a minute to cause changes in brain function. And you already know how long it takes a cup of coffee to work.

The light waves are harmless to tissue which is why they are being used more in medical treatments. And they even say blue light helps to cure bad breath.

And not because people have stopped drinking coffee.

The Daily Mail says that finding came from the dentist office where it took only two minutes of exposure to blue light used for teeth whitening to kill bacteria causing bad breath.

Sounds cool. But I'm not dumping my cup of Joe. Not unless they add coffee smell to the blue light.

Follow Joe on Twitter @joemathieuwbz

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