Once in those deeper tissues, red light, and near-infrared (NIR) light have incredible healing effects on the cells where they can increase energy production (ATP), modulate inflammation, relieve pain, help cells regenerate faster, and much more.

 

The Five “Bioactive” Types of Light: Why Humans Need Sunlight to Be Healthy

 

Nutrients are very important to the health of your body’s cells, so is light necessary for your body to be healthy and your cells to function well.

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Most of us are deficient in the benefits of all these types of light and there are health consequences of not getting enough of the right light. For example, Vitamin D deficiency or sunlight deficiency, mal-illumination due to too much exposure to artificial light at night (like your TV, your IPAD/tablet, computer, cellular phone, electronics, or indoor lighting). has been linked to certain diseases, like:

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• Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, dementia, Multiple Sclerosis, and Parkinson’s

• Numerous types of cancer

• Depression

• Obesity

• Diabetes

• Metabolic syndrome

• Heart disease

• Insomnia and poor sleep

• Mood disorders

 

But what if there is another type of light deficiency that most people don’t know and can be as devastating to your health? Near-infrared (NIR) and red-light deficiency.

 

Red and near-infrared light have profound effects on our cellular and hormonal health. And we’re designed to need ample amounts of those types of light to have optimal health.

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Just as the modern world of processed food leads to chronic malnutrition, our modern light environment (of too much of the wrong kinds of light and too little of the right kinds, and with poor timing) is called mall illumination. Most people living in the modern world are suffering from chronic mal-illumination and don’t even realise it. And it has widespread effects on our brain and organ function, immune system, energy levels, mood, neurotransmitter balance, and hormone levels. 

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How Does Near-Infrared (NIR) and Red-Light Therapy Work?

We know how UV light affects us, for example – it works primarily by interacting with our skin and stimulating the production of vitamin D. We also know how blue light enters our eyes and feeds back into the circadian clock in our brain to regulate our 24-hour biological rhythm, including the complex array of hormones and neurotransmitters that are regulated by this circadian clock in our brain.

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These mechanisms are well understood by science. But what about red/NIR light?

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There are numerous different physiological and biochemical mechanisms that researchers have identified as being affected by red and near-infrared light, but for our purposes, we will focus on 2 key mechanisms

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It has 2 central mechanisms in how it benefits cellular function and overall health:

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1. Increased mitochondrial energy production (stimulating ATP production in the mitochondria)

2. Building up the cell’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory defence system.

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In a nutshell near-infrared and red-light therapy help mitochondria produce more energy, decrease inflammation, and help build the cell defence systems to increase resiliency.

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