Red and infrared light are a part of the spectrum of light emitted from natural light sources, such as the sun (minus the UV rays) and fire, and are essential for human cellular health and functioning. Think of light as another nutrient to fuel your cells. This concept is something that has been appearing in medical literature as early as the 18th century, as sunlight exposure was proven to improve rickets, bacterial infections of the joints, non-healing and infected wounds, and much more (Whitten, 2018). In the 1990s, NASA started using red light technology to help maintain muscle and bone mass and treat chronic wounds of their astronauts in space, who in the past have suffered from chronic illnesses due to the effects of long-term absence of light exposure in space (Whitten, 2018).
If we think about our ancestors and the way they lived, they spent the majority of their lives outdoors, living off of the land and sun, literally! Today more than ever, we are a society of indoor living and limited sun exposure, which has created an epidemic of light deficiencies and toxicities that negatively impacts our overall health and well-being (Whitten, 2018).
Red light works within the cell as a powerful, natural, and safe antioxidant delivering energy directly to the cell through low intensity light waves, optimizing cellular function. Red and near-infrared light penetrate through the skin, deep into the tissue and cells within the body to target the mitochondria within the cells, which are responsible for energy production and cellular metabolism. This process helps jumpstart the immune system and healing process, working to combat numerous illnesses and disease processes, as your body’s health is dependent on a steady supply of energy.
Red light therapy, otherwise known as a form of photobiomodulation, is FDA approved to treat muscle and joint pain, arthritis, circulatory disease, and hair loss, and has also been proven to decrease pain, acne, anxiety, and depression, as well as promote fat reduction, anti-aging, wound healing, and increase bone density (Sloan, 2019). There are over 50,000 published papers on the effects of red and near-infrared light therapies, with no adverse side effects reported. Ever. The benefits are proven and profound! If you have any questions on whether red light therapy can benefit you, come on in and see us at Empower Wellness, and our medical team would be happy to discuss your concerns, health conditions, and develop a plan personalized to you in order to see how our red light therapy bed can optimize your cellular health! We are proud to offer the world’s most advanced, award winning, red light therapy bed on the market, The OvationULT Red Light Bed.
Patriot Direct Family Medicine (2020). Health benefits of red light therapy. https://patriotdirectfm.com/2020/02/health-benefits-of-red-light-therapy/.
References
Whitten, A. (2018). The ultimate guide to red light therapy. Archangel Ink.