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(KSL News) -- Could two things all women are exposed to every day determine their risk for breast cancer?
People who work overnight under constant exposure to light don't get something our bodies need: Darkness. That's when a small gland deep in the brain produces melatonin.
Exposing your eyes to light turns off production of melatonin, a hormone which appears to offer protection against cancer cells.
Catherine Welsh, M.D., Oncologist: "They found that blood from subjects that had been exposed to bright light at night when it was infused into the breast cancer caused the cancer to grow at a faster rate than the tumors that were exposed to blood from people who had remained in the dark."
To increase melatonin naturally, make sure your room is as dark as possible. When it's time for sleep, turn off the TV and any lights to give your body the darkness it needs.
