How Does Red Light Therapy Work
How Does Red Light Therapy Work?
How does red light therapy work and what are some potential red light therapy benefits? The idea that simply shining light on your body can improve your health may sound too good to be true, but there is a large body of research shows that red light therapy help and explains how it actually functions.
Red Light Improves Cellular Energy Production
The best-studied mechanism
anelles (organs within a cell) that produce all of the energy that our cells and our bodies ultimately need. Red light therapy is thought to primarily cause its positive effects by helping the mitochondria create more energy.
All molecules and atoms absorb very specific wavelengths of light. The specific molecule within the mitochondria that is thought to absorb red and near-infrared light is a chemical called cytochrome C oxidase. Cytochrome C oxidase plays an absolutely essential role in transferring electrons down an electrochemical gradient in mitochondria called the electron transport chain.
The electron transport chain is what drives the synthesis of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). ATP is a complex organic molecule that is considered the “currency” of energy in the body. While biological energy is derived from sugar, the energy in sugar would damage cells if it was all used at once. Mitochondria use a chemical reaction called the Krebs cycle to generate charged molecules. These charged molecules then pass through the electron transport chain, ultimately resulting in the synthesis of ATP.
Red light therapy is ultimately thought to improve the efficiency and speed of the electron transport chain, improving the availability of ATP in the cells and throughout the body. This increased energy is what is thought to provide the many benefits that red light therapy is used for.
Red Light Therapy Reaches Deep Tissues
One of the reasons that red light therapy specifically offers unique benefits when compared to other wavelengths of light is that it can penetrate much deeper than shorter wavelengths of light. Higher energy light is absorbed more quickly and only enters the more superficial layers of body tissues.
Short wavelengths of light, such as ultraviolet light, contain more energy than red or near-infrared light. These wavelengths, however, only reach the skin and do not penetrate deeply into the body.
Red light and near-infrared light, conversely, have longer wavelengths and are able to reach much deeper, penetrating through many layers of body tissue. This has two main effects:
l It reaches a greater amount of body tissue. While the light passes through many layers of body tissue, it has the potential to interact with every cell it touches, allowing for a larger volume of tissue to be impacted.
l It reaches deep body tissue. Because it penetrates deeply, red and near-infrared light can reach areas of the body that are considered relatively inaccessible. Tissues like muscles, joints, and even brain tissues may be reached by these types of light.
It is important to keep in mind that while some wavelengths of light, such as green light, may reach a more medium depth, it is only red and near-infrared wavelengths that are considered to actually stimulate mitochondria. It is the effect of red light on mitochondria combined with its deep penetration that makes it such a valuable resource in phototherapy treatments.
It is specifically these red and near-infrared wavelengths that have amazing effects on our bodies. Most research showing the benefits of red light and near-infrared light have used wavelengths in the ranges of 620-680nm and 800-880nm.
There have been thousands of studies done in both animals and humans, examining the effects that it has on many different biological processes. Overall, red and near-infrared light has been repeatedly shown to have positive effects on cell function in animal and human studies and aid in improving a wide range of conditions.
Red Light Therapy Safety
Red light therapy is widely considered one of the safest forms of phototherapy. This is because red light and near-infrared light are low-energy forms of electromagnetic radiation. Short-wavelength light, like ultraviolet light, is considered high-energy light and carries known health risks, such as skin cancer and eye damage with retinal exposure.
Red light does not carry any known safety risks. While red light therapy providers recommend wearing protective glasses during red light therapy out of an overabundance of caution, there is not even conclusive evidence that red light therapy causes eye damage. In fact, some evidence suggests there may be eye-related benefits to using red light therapy.
While red light therapy is considered to be very safe, there are some circumstances where it is not recommended. These situations, however, are not due to known dangers that exist but to the fact that the safety has not been fully researched or proven.
We are committed to providing you with the highest quality red light therapy products. Our product can help you obtain reliable doses of professional grade red light therapy. The product has passed multiple safety indicators and can provide reliable protection for your safe use.
We welcome you to review our red light therapy devices or to contact one of our representatives at send an email to sales06@iluxred.com to learn more or to help find the right solution for you.
DISCLAIMER: iLux Red Light Therapy devices are not clinically proven to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any medical conditions. Mito Red Light devices are Class II general wellness devices aimed at affecting the body through topical heating and supporting cellular function. The scientific studies referenced in this article are for informational purposes only.
