This article aims to introduce you to the benefits and effects of light therapy, explain how you can use it, and whether you should expect certain risks. Additionally, we would like to provide you with a guideline on how often you can apply light therapy. For this, we will briefly explain the principles of its function and have selected a few interesting studies that demonstrate how near-infrared light (NIR) can benefit your body and health. Just to summarize: the list of benefits is long!
Light, color spectrum, and effect
If you protect yourself from the sun in summer or use sunscreen, or if you do not spend long periods in direct sunlight, you already know that light also poses dangers.The ultraviolet (UV) light contained in sunlight, for example, causes the skin to age quickly and thus many cells of the largest organ in your body.
On the opposite side of the color spectrum, one can find the ‘near infrared’. Unlike harmful UV light, it has been shown to be protective against aging in animal studies. The near infrared includes wavelengths from 780 to 3000nm and is located in the invisible range of the color spectrum.
In another article, we have already discussed the effect of light on sleep . There, we talked about the visible part of light and first noted that light has a significant impact on our daily lives.We have also learned when it is better to avoid light, particularly the blue area of the spectrum, and how we can benefit from light in the morning on the other hand.
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NIR at the cellular level
So what are the benefits of near-infrared (NIR)? An improvement of the circadian rhythm, reduced oxidative stress (fewer free radicals) and a positive effect on neural networks (connections in the brain) have been demonstrated.Additionally, NIR reduces inflammation and associated pain or edema (fluid accumulation in the tissue). Furthermore, the therapeutic application improves the healing of wounds or other injuries such as fractures or ligament tears and has therefore held a high significance in physiotherapy for quite some time. These diverse effects of NIR are attributed to the enzyme cytochrome c oxidase, which is an important component of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. The mitochondria are probably still known to you from school as the power plants of the cell – this analogy hits the nail on the head, as the mitochondria serve energy production.Many metabolic processes involve mitochondria and thus also cytochrome c oxidase. Its stimulation can accelerate several processes. Furthermore, studies have shown increased ATP (adenosine triphosphate) levels and an enhanced citrate synthase. ATP serves as the main energy storage of the cells. Citrate synthase plays a crucial role in the citric acid cycle, which is also important for the energy production of our body.
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Case studies: what does NIR bring you?
As early as 1903, the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine was awarded to Niels Ryberg Finsen for demonstrating a stimulating effect of light on tissue. He mainly focused on the antibacterial effect of concentrated light.
A study examined athletes who were treated with NIR. Here there is a significantly improved performance of the athletes.Various laboratory tests have been conducted, based on which the improvement can be explained: the oxygen uptake from the blood and the time to exhaustion were significantly increased in a running test.
Did you know?
The American millionaire and longevity enthusiast Bryan Johnson also uses NIR multiple times a week. But that's not all. His project Blueprint is designed to prevent him from aging as much as possible and ideally even reverse his biological age . To achieve this, Bryan Johnson takes more than 100 different nutritional supplements daily, practices a strict fasting and exercise program, and has even had his younger son's blood transfused. But this is not even the craziest method that the American has tried to live forever.
How often should you use NIR?
For a local effect, one session is sufficient. This is the case, for example, if you want to take advantage of improved wound healing. However, if you want to benefit from light therapy in general, you should use a lamp daily or at least five times a week. Simply put: the more often you use the light application, the better the effect and your benefit will be, up to a certain extent. So use it consistently and not just sporadically. An application can be scheduled for about 10 minutes.
Can too much light therapy be harmful?
No abnormalities have been found in studies regarding this.Thus, one can speak of safe applications. However, the benefit for you with very frequent use is not correspondingly higher. This is also referred to as a ceiling effect (engl. "ceiling-effect").
For further and specific information, one can contact the manufacturers of various lamps; of course, there are differences in the models.
