Can bright light help depressed patients lower their blood sugar?
The effect of bright light therapy on glycemic control and cortisol rhythmicity in depression: a randomized controlled trial.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Publication
Journal
Frontiers in psychiatry
Year
2026
Authors
Jie Fang, Xinyu Li, Shukun Zhu, Qin Hu, Ting Wang, Jiakuai Yu, Ximing Qin, Daomin Zhu
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Claims (4)
In hospitalized adults with moderate to severe depression, daily exposure to bright light for 30 minutes over two weeks is associated with a measurable decrease in fasting blood glucose levels compared to exposure to dim light.
For hospitalized adults with depression, exposure to bright light each day lowers the average level of cortisol in the body over a 24-hour period by about 1.37 ng/mL compared to dim light, suggesting a more regular daily rhythm of this hormone.
In hospitalized adults with depression undergoing bright light therapy, decreases in blood sugar levels are linked to decreases in the average level of cortisol over a 24-hour period, suggesting that the body’s daily hormone rhythm and glucose control may be biologically connected.
For hospitalized adults with depression, exposure to bright light each day lowers the daily fluctuation in cortisol levels by about 1.27 ng/mL compared to exposure to dim light.