Red Light for Weight Loss and Wellness

Our mitochondria cells contain receptors that respond to specific bands of the light spectrum. Red light falls into the visible part of the spectrum between 630 and 700 nm on the electromagnetic scale, while near-infrared wavelengths fall into the invisible part between 700 and 1200 nm. Both stimulate mitochondrial activity, aiding in ATP synthesis and modulating cytokine release from macrophages to reduce inflammation. A growing body of clinical research finds that enhanced ATP synthesis leads to enhanced ATP energy production, increased collagen production, reduced oxidative stress, faster muscle recovery, and other related health benefits.

The Cleveland Clinic explains that “unlike cancer-causing ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun or tanning booths,” treatment with red light and near-infrared wavelengths is safe and effective for most people.

Treatment with red light and near-infrared wavelengths is not appropriate in cases of pregnancy, epilepsy, active gallbladder, or for anyone taking photosensitive medications.

Danish physicist Niels Ryberg Finsen won the Nobel Prize in 1903 for his application of light therapy. As early as 1893, Finsen found that lengthy exposure of smallpox sufferers to the red light formed by excluding the violet end of the spectrum accelerated healing. Aware of the bacteria-destroying effects of sunlight, he developed an ultraviolet treatment for lupus vulgaris, a form of skin tuberculosis, which met with great success.

Niels Ryberg, Danish physicist in phototherapy (1893) would have to wait a century before technology advanced to a point that it could support the broad application of red light therapy, Finsen’s Nobel Prize-winning work. In 1961, two Texas Instruments researchers invented an infra-red LED. In 1962, a General Electric researcher invented the first visible red light LED. These early LEDs were not very bright and had limited applications. In 1972, Monsanto researchers invented an LED that emitted about ten times brighter light than earlier versions. By the 1990s, scientists were producing ultra-bright LEDs. Red LED light therapy has come a long way in the 100+ years since Finsen’s Nobel Prize-winning work, and its treatment benefits are more widely understood.

NASA scientists first used red light LEDs to stimulate plant growth on international space stations in the 1980s, and then began investigating the potential benefits of light therapy for astronauts on long-term space missions. NASA tested red light therapy on astronauts, and found that it had the ability to improve cellular function and combat the effects of living in zero gravity environments (muscle and bone atrophy and delayed wound healing).

Most patients stay in the red light bed for 8-12 minutes per session.

Session plans vary based on your health challenges and needs. Acute injuries (sprains, abrasions, etc.) typically show more rapid improvement and often resolve in 3-5 treatments. Long-term and chronic conditions may need a lengthier treatment plan. Most clients use the red light therapy 2-3 times per week until they achieve their desired outcome.

Most clients expose as much of the body’s surface area as possible, but full nudity provides the most effective results. Patients can decide what they are most comfortable with for their sessions.

The lights themselves deliver concentrated wavelengths of light directly to your skin and cells, with no UV rays and very little heat. You will feel an increase in overall blood circulation throughout the treatment and you may experience a feeling of warmth, a quick energy boost or feeling of euphoria.

We recommend following each red light treatment with a 10-minutes session on the whole body vibration plate. Vibration stimulates lymphatic drainage and further aides in circulation. Recent research shows that vibration can have positive impact on microphage cells and the microbiome as part of a more systemic boost to the immune system. Adequate hydration, of course, supports the overall treatment benefits.