What is Red Light Therapy and Why is it So Beneficial?
Red light therapy is very much in the news these days. It seems to be cropping up in many cosmetic clinics and now more powerful equipment is available in wellness centres where it provides a wide range of health benefits. It is especially helpful for chronic conditions which are often related to poor cellular health and dysfunctional mitochondria, which make the energy for body cells to function.
How Does it Work?
Infrared light (IR) is visible, whereas near-infrared light (NIR) is not visible. Infrared wavelengths are part of the spectrum of natural sunlight and have an important role in stimulating the mitochondria that are in every cell in the body. The mitochondria are the source of energy generation (Kreb cycle) needed to power the cell. To operate efficiently, they need clean fuel (glucose), oxygen, and some electrical energy.
Perhaps surprisingly, our cells are photosensitive and stimulated by light of different wavelengths. Different wavelengths have different effects.
Most people are aware that exposure to sunlight will likely result in a tan forming. This tan (melanin) is created by the body as protection against ultraviolet (UV-blue light). The shorter the wavelength, the less penetrative the light is. UV, being a shorter wavelength, barely penetrates below the skin, whereas infrared light penetrates a few centimetres into body tissues and can transfer energy to the mitochondria. The invisible NIR light penetrates much further and also stimulates the mitochondria by encouraging the uptake of oxygen and removing some of the nitrous oxide (NO), which can slow down the Kreb cycle. In effect, light energy is converted into electrical energy by our body cells, enabling a cell to operate at an efficient level. This is true of all different types of body cells such as muscle, nerve, and brain cells. Interestingly, red light stimulation seems to spread around the body to parts that have not been directly exposed.
Optimal Exposure
Exposure to red light on a full-length light bed is the optimal way to gain the benefit of red light — a head-to-toe experience. Exposure time is typically 20 minutes. Red light does not produce a tan and does not have any of the potential drawbacks of UV exposure, especially overexposure.
It has proven to be most effective at helping people with skin conditions (psoriasis, eczema, etc.).
Red light therapy (RLT) boosts mood, energy, and the immune system and generates a lot of melatonin, the sleep hormone. Melatonin is a very powerful antioxidant, so it mops up any reactive oxygen species (ROS) that naturally occur in the cells. A 20-minute exposure to RLT is a very relaxing and enjoyable experience.
Addressing Light Deficiency
For those living in northern latitudes (e.g., Scotland), we do not have a lot of sunshine, especially in the winter months. As a result, many people spend more than 90% of their lives indoors and away from any natural light source. Our lighting has also changed to LEDs and energy-saving lighting, which is typically a single-wavelength light source and totally lacking in any red light component. The indoor environment is therefore lacking in both infrared and UV light. We need exposure to UV light to make vitamin D, which is a hugely protective vitamin/hormone. We need exposure to IR light to energise our mitochondria—in the modern world, we are isolated from both these life-enhancing wavelengths of light. Is it any wonder that we develop chronic symptoms from lack of sunlight or indeed how much better we feel after a few days away on a sunshine holiday?
Infrared light therapy is therefore a very obvious, safe, and natural way to get back some key elements of sunshine so important to good health.
The Health Hub now also offers ultraviolet (UVB) light therapy for those people who want to boost their vitamin D levels.
Tanning Tips
Although some people need to keep out of direct sunshine due to a health condition or perhaps some medication that makes them sensitive to light, they are usually sensitive to higher energy wavelengths such as ultraviolet. You cannot screen out all the wavelengths from sunlight, but red light therapy is one way to enjoy healthy light, so it is an option worth exploring.
Covering the body with sun protection factor (SPF) completely stops the creation of vitamin D, thus negating the very benefit you could have from its protective powers. The protection from adequate levels of vitamin D is wide-ranging, including protection from several cancers, and your immune system absolutely depends on vitamin D. As a result, most people will benefit from taking a supplement—but vitamin D from natural sunlight is best! Remember too that the skin is very porous and will absorb any chemicals that are put on it, like SPF lotion. This is not good and is especially bad for young children. Of course, bright sunshine needs to be treated with respect, so gradually increasing exposure will bring about the body’s natural protection—a suntan and healthy levels of vitamin D.
Sunshine in the early morning and later in the afternoon has much less UV in it, so a good time to have initial exposure is when your standing shadow is longer than your height. Cover up at the first sign of pinking with light clothing—the near-infrared will still penetrate and bring you its health benefits. Once any pinking has settled down, you can edge back into the sunlight. Melanin takes 2-3 days to develop (suntan) and is very effective at blocking UV rays. Even fair-skinned people can develop a functional tan using this gentle approach.
To summarise, red light therapy is a valuable, natural method to enhance overall health, particularly in environments lacking sufficient natural light. By incorporating RLT and mindful sun exposure, individuals can improve their well-being and maintain healthy cellular function.
