Many people are unaware of the fact that light therapy is not new, but it has been utilized for thousands of years for its therapeutic benefits. On that note, red light has received loads of attention in the last decade or so. Today, red light is used in panels to impart incredible health benefits. Red light therapy is also referred to as low-level light therapy and has recently been termed photobiomodulation or PBM.
What Exactly is Red Light Therapy
Countless studies exist that prove the diverse range of therapeutic effects that red light therapy can render. However, therapy using actual sunlight has been around for thousands of years. You might now know the fact that the ancient Egyptians called sunlight therapy Heliotherapy. Even the ancient Greeks prescribed frequent light exposure to those who were depressed.
Today, scientists have separated the specific light frequencies that have healing properties, such as the red and near-infrared light that is used in PBM, which is essentially a band of light frequencies within the broad spectrum of light that the sun emits. How amazing is that? Now, you can clearly identify these frequencies at sunrise and sunset by the reddish hue in the sky during sunrise and sunset.
Breaking Down the Basics of the Importance of Light Therapy
We know that all living things need energy to survive. Now, in the human body, this energy exists in the form of adenosine triphosphate, which is essentially a complex organic chemical that provides energy to perform many processes within living cells. ATP is produced in the mitochondria, which are the energy units of human cells.
Mitochondria and Energy
Through regular physical exercise, you can stimulate the body to produce more mitochondria. What this will do for you is that it will help you have more energy at your disposal at any given time. This aspect also indicates that the more mitochondria you have – the more energy you will be able to produce. This also explains why elite athletes have a greater density of mitochondria in their muscles than average people.
Light Therapy Helps Optimize Your Mitochondria
Essentially, this adaptation happens when the energy demands athletes or peak performers place on their bodies, resulting in their bodies producing more mitochondria. You just have to know the big metabolic benefits of exercising. However, this adaptation takes a long time and requires serious dedication from the average person. There is a solution, though: instead of trying to produce more mitochondria, you can ensure that the mitochondria you have are functioning optimally through light therapy.
The Law of Energy Applied to Humans
If you are familiar with Newton’s law of energy, you already know that energy cannot be created or destroyed – but it only changes its form. A fine example of this is solar energy, where the solar panels absorb energy from the sun and produce electrical energy. Sun energy is also transformed in the process of photosynthesis in plants.
With that said, the human cells are pretty similar in this aspect. Here is what happens: when your body cells absorb light energy, you spark a chemical reaction in your body’s mitochondria to stimulate the production of ATP, which then transforms into a usable form of energy. So, light energy is used in body cells to produce more ATP.
Why is Red Light Special?
At this point, you might be wondering about what essentially makes red light so special. The thing is that red light has a large frequency range, which is typically up to more than one thousand nanometers. These frequencies transmit incredibly well through the human body tissues and into cells.
Compared to blue light, it is shorter than red light and only enters into the first layer of the ski. However, red light can effectively penetrate through all the layers of the skin to the point of reaching into organs and bones. This way, red light can activate cells to produce more ATP.
The increase of ATP production within the cells is super important. The thing is that the energy is not only used to keep you awake or feel energetic – but the ATP acts as a universal fuel inside living cells, which drives every single biological process that you need to thrive and survive as well.
Red Light and Sleep
When it comes to the benefits of red light therapy, the red light wavelengths stimulate melatonin, which is essential for getting rest at night. In this way, red light therapy can help with deep relaxation due to its calming effect on the body.
This aspect perfectly explains why red light therapy is used for the treatment of insomnia and depression. Responding to the red light therapy, the brain produces more melatonin, which results in better sleep and hence improves the quality of sleep as well as cell turnover, repair, and endurance performance.
Red Light and Immune System
If new cells are needed to grow or heal a bone, ATP kicks in to communicate with other cells to initiate the bone remodelling process. Also, in the case of damaged or infected cells – the ATP signalling molecules communicate with macrophages to clean up the mess and destroy the bad cells.
When you are exposed to a virus, the ATP inside your body signals to molecules to destroy pathogens. In the case of autoimmune diseases, your immune system behaves irrationally, and you can benefit from light therapy to improve the signalling between ATP and other bodily molecules.
You get the point: red light therapy can give your immune system the much-needed extra boost and promote your health.
Final Thoughts
The body cells that have been activated by red light will react in certain ways – depending on the state they are in before the exposure. For instance, red light therapy promotes relaxation after injury or physical exhaustion. It also stimulates collagen production, which boosts skin cells by boosting the skin’s strength and elasticity. Moreover, red light therapy promotes hair growth by impacting the weak cells. If cells are damaged, they will self-destruct or repair themselves. Also, the primary functions of the cell will be upregulated through the ATP high turnover.
