(Natural News) Do you look at your smartphone in bed? Do you work night shift? Do you live in the city? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you need to know that a new study has found that exposure to artificial lighting at night can raise a person's risk of developing prostate or breast cancer.

The study, which was carried out by Spanish researchers, looked at people's exposure to outdoor artificial light from streetlights using satellite imagery from the International Space Station along with their exposure to indoor artificial light as self-reported in questionnaires. They studied more than 4,000 people with and without breast and prostate cancer from 11 regions in Spain from 2008 to 2013, examining the blue light spectrum data for each person's longest residence.

The people who were exposed to higher amounts of blue light outdoors at night had a 1.5-fold greater risk of breast cancer and a twofold higher chance of prostate cancer when compared to those with less exposure. Moreover, men who were exposed to higher levels of indoor artificial light had a prostate cancer risk that was 2.8-fold higher.

While past studies have calculated the intensity of nighttime artificial light using satellite imagery, this one is the first to specifically study the amount of blue light. It's worth noting that exposure to other types of artificial light outdoors, like light with high amounts of green and red in the visible spectrum, wasn't linked to the development of the cancers studied.

Because blue light possesses a shorter wavelength than other visible light, it has more energy. It reduces the release of melatonin, which the brain uses to regulate your body's circadian rhythm. Disrupting these clocks is believed to raise a person's cancer risk. Melatonin can also act like an antioxidant, and having enough of it is needed to stop hormone-sensitive cancers like prostate and breast cancer from growing.

Get CLEAN FOOD and help support our mission to keep you informed: The Health Ranger Store lab verifies everything we sell with accredited testing for heavy metals, microbiology and food safety. Certified organic facility, ISO-accredited on-site laboratory, no GMOs or synthetic ingredients. The world's #1 source of lab-verified clean foods and superfoods for nutritional healing. 600+ products available. Explore now.

Many outdoor LED lights have blue light, especially those that have a color temperature that exceeds 3,000 Kelvin. This measurement indicates a light's spectral content, or how much blue, red, yellow and green light it contains. Higher color temperatures typically indicate greater amounts of blue light. The American Medical Association has recommended that outdoor LEDs do not exceed 3,000 Kelvin due to the potentially dangerous effects on human health and the environment.

Some cities have replaced their outdoor LEDs with lights that use a lower color temperature in response to concerns put forth by citizens. If your city has these lights, you can use blinds and shutters to block out the light from the street at night. No matter where you live, you should make sure your bedroom uses softer light bulbs.