Hubermanred light on the back lowered blood sugar 20–30%
When researchers shone red light on people's backs during a glucose tolerance test, it blunted their blood sugar by 20–30% — a result Huberman calls remarkable.Researchers shone red light on people's backs during a glucose tolerance test.
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Key takeaways
- Huberman says long wavelength light goes into and through the body, not just onto it.
- He cites Glen Jeffery's work at University College London, where red light on the back during a glucose tolerance test blunted glucose 20–30%.
- His explanation: the light gets mitochondria working, and that draws on glucose — so blood sugar drops.
In their words
“Longwave light that bounces off greenery is tremendously good for our mitochondria. It actually can go into and through our body.”
“They shined a red light on people's backs ... It blunted glucose levels somewhere between 20 and 30 percent. Which is remarkable.”
“the mitochondria, the energy factories in our cells, actually start using more ATP. Metabolism goes up.”
Context
Andrew Huberman, a Stanford neuroscientist and host of Huberman Lab, joined Megyn Kelly to discuss his book Protocols. About twenty-four minutes in, while explaining why daylight exposure matters, he described research at University College London in which red light approximating sunlight was shone on people's backs during a glucose tolerance test. He attributes the work to his colleague Glen Jeffery.
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Updated Sep 28, 2026