I found this article, there are more out there on the subject. I believe this is the same lighting as a grow light. You can get them in small or large florescent tubes or in the large bulb style. I use to use them in my business when I had to colour match. There was nothing better than that lighting to see the correct colour. After reading this I might just get one and give it a try for health reasons.
The whole article at:
consumerhealth.org/articles/display.cfm?ID=20000102232127
A few interesting paragraphs below.
FULL SPECTRUM LIGHTING Since full spectrum light requires a fluorescent tube, the full spectrum lighting manufacturers had to make all the necessary changes. They put in electronic ballast; they put in the right phosphors to produce all the frequencies of light, and they shielded them. John Ott showed in many school studies that when you can change the school lighting from incandescent or fluorescent to full spectrum, students' grade point averages will go up half a grade point, they will stay out of glasses longer, they will be less hyper, and strangely their dental cavities drop like a rock. And the reason? It stimulated vitamin D on the skin, resulting in more calcium to the teeth and less dental decay. Full spectrum light helps depression and the immune system during the winter, and it is the only natural colour to use for viewing artwork and other colour products.
FULL SPECTRUM EQUIVALENCE TO SUNLIGHT If you get six hours of full spectrum light in either fluorescent bulb form, fluorescent tube form or light box form, you are probably close to your 30-minute equivalent of sunlight. If you can get full spectrum lights in your working environment, you can boost that. You don't have to have direct light. Light will bounce off of floors and tables; it will go into your eyes. You don't have to be in direct sunlight when you are outside either. You can be under a shade tree and be getting your lighting. It is enough to have sunlight on your face in the wintertime because that will activate vitamin D, and more importantly, since 98% of sunlight comes in through your eyes, you are O.K. John Ott showed that if have full sunlight or its equivalent in full spectrum light in the vicinity of your computer, it would open up the blood stream and basically counteract the drowsiness. So it is really nice to have sunlight or full spectrum lighting within four to eight feet of your computer area, or your television. The outer glass or plastic on full spectrum tubes and bulbs is light conductive.
WHERE TO BUY THEM Full spectrum bulbs are generally available in plant stores and pet stores because they never use anything but full spectrum lights on all their plants and animals. They are treated better than humans. On the other hand, there are a lot of mail order companies that market full spectrum. (Consumer Health also sells full spectrum bulbs.)
I'm hope the tens machine continues to help. My husband has one from a major back injury.
Adios, I hope to be back early next week.
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