What is Light Therapy?

To understand Red Light Therapy, we must first understand Light Therapy.

Light Therapy – also called phototherapy, or photobiomodulation –  is the use of natural or artificial light spectrums on the human body to create a beneficial healing response.

Another word for light therapy is heliotherapy. Heliotherapy relies specifically on the use of the Sun to create the beneficial healing response, whereas ‘light therapy’ can mean any number of methods including the use of artificial or natural light.

To really understand and appreciate the potential of light as a healing tool, let’s first think about how powerful the sun is in it’s relationship with plants on Planet Earth. We don’t think of plants as moving beings, but they really do move and grow! Plants will actively reorient themselves throughout the growing season to position their leaves to receive more sun. The chloroplasts inside the leaves capture the sun’s rays and convert that sun energy into sugar to use as fuel for growth.

Think about that. Plants have millions upon millions of tiny solar energy units that catch sunlight and transform that energy into sugar. Think human’s are so different?

No, we really aren’t much different than plants in how we use sunlight. Our skin captures sunlight and transforms that sunlight into hormones to drive processes in the body like calcium metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, anabolic hormone production and much more! Whereas plants turn sunlight into carbohydrates, humans use sunlight to transform hormone precursors into hormones that drive growth and development of the body.

Light therapy recognizes this human requirement for natural light, and uses different ranges of light frequencies to address specific health problems.

If a plant is in the shade and is starting to die, you might move that plant into a new spot in the yard where it receives more light. Low and behold that plant begins to recover and grow!

Light therapy for humans is not so different.

What is the Light Spectrum?

Light has a visible and invisible spectrum called the electromagnetic spectrum. The electromagnetic spectrum includes the full range of frequencies in the spectrum. Each of these frequency ranges has it’s own associated energy level and wavelength.

X-rays, Radiowaves and Microwaves are somewhere along this electromagnetic spectrum, as well as visible light. Visible light makes up only a very small section of the entire spectrum.

Visible light includes all the colors of the rainbow and is defined as the wavelength range from 400 nanometers to 700 nanometers. If you’ve shopped around for red light devices, you’ve probably read something about nanometers. Most of these red light devices come in the range of 600-700 nanometers. The Full Body Collagen Stimulator Machine, or the Total Body Enhancement Machine – the same machine found at many Planet Fitnesses and many tanning salons around the country – operates at about 633 nanometers.

What is Red Light Therapy?

When we talk about Red Light Therapy, we’re still talking about Light Therapy, of course. We’re just talking about a very specific wavelength of light being used.

Red Light Therapy is the application of wavelengths in the range of 600-700 nanometers, most often in the range between 630 – 690 nm.

The reason Red Light Therapy is getting popular over the other wavelengths available is because of extensive research done on the mitochondria in the context of human health, and because of a growing movement in the health and wellness field that is recognizing a mitochondria-first approach to health.

To quote a Pudmed article:

“The mitochondrial electron transport chain has been shown to be photosensitive to red and near-infrared (NIR) light. Although the underlying mechanisms have not yet been clearly elucidated, mitochondrial photostimulation has been shown to increase ATP production and cause transient increases in reactive oxygen species (ROS)”

This is really amazing information: The electron transport chain HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE SENSITIVE TO RED AND NEAR-INFRARED LIGHT.

Let that sink in. Red light therapy INCREASES ATP PRODUCTION. Let’s nail this point home! The energy currency of the body is ATP, and red light can increase the amount of ATP generated by your mitochondria. Red light can increase the ability of your mitochondria to create energy!

What are Benefits of Red Light Therapy?

Increased energy production means that the cell will operate more efficiently no matter what kind of cell it is. Depending on the cell’s specific job, the increase in ATP available will have drastic effects on the entire body:

• Skin cells will be able to repair more quickly
• Collagen-producing cells will help your body generate more tight, hydrated, elastic skin sections
• Liver cells will have more energy to metabolize food, drink, and drugs.
• Muscles will be able to respond to stress and repair faster
• Red Blood cells will be more efficient; helping to improve circulation, energy levels, metabolism, etc.
• Increase in Mitochondria biogenesis (the production of new, more efficient mitochondria)

So, what are you waiting for? Light affects human beings in a way few people really understand and think about on a daily basis. This can give you an edge in business, athletics, or it can be a tool you share with people you love and care about.

The power to affect change in your biology is yours and will cost nothing more than an early morning outside, gazing in the direction of the rising sun.