The Ultimate Guide to Red Light Therapy: How to Use Red and Near-Infrared Light Therapy for Anti-Aging, Fat Loss, Muscle Gain, Performance Enhancement, and Brain Optimization

by Ari Whitten

Stimulating wound healing and cellular repair mechanisms in the damaged joint itself187

Decrease Diabetes Symptoms with Red and Near-Infrared Light Therapy

For diabetics, the most positive results gleaned from studies on the effects of red and near-infrared light therapy for healing is healing foot ulcers. Historically, these are harder to heal due to poor circulation and high glucose levels, especially in the lower limbs. Studies in animals and humans reveal that red light therapy restores diabetic patients’ normal healing ability by exerting a stimulatory effect on the mitochondria with a resulting increase in adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

Red light therapy also has had profound success in helping patients with painful diabetic neuropathy. Studies have found that red and near-infrared light

therapy also helps to relieve pain and improve nerve function and foot skin microcirculation in diabetic patients.

Improve Oral health with Red and Near-Infrared Light Therapy

Red and near-infrared light therapy have proven to have numerous benefits for oral health and research in this area is booming right now. So far, studies indicate promising results for red and near-infrared light therapy, which has been shown to: Combat viral and bacterial infections of the mouth (tonsillitis, herpes, cold sores)197,198,199 Reduce mouth pain200 Facilitate tooth growth/tooth movement and reduce pain for individuals with corrective braces201,202,203 Help diabetics with gum problems and periodontal disease204,205,206 Reduce thrush (yeast in the mouth/candidiasis)207,208 Improve tooth sensitivity209,210 Fight gum disease and gingivitis211,212,213

Improve Respiratory Health with Red and Near-Infrared Light Therapy

In studies, red and near-infrared light therapy has been shown to improve the health of those who suffer from chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, COPD, bronchiectasis, and ILD,215,216,217,218 as well as patients suffering from chronic obstructive bronchitis.219

Improve Heart Health with Red and Near-Infrared Light Therapy

In heart tissue studies, red and near-infrared light therapy works through multiple molecular pathways, including modulation of inflammatory cytokines, signaling molecules, transcription factors, enzymes and antioxidants.221 Other studies have noted many other benefits to heart function.

Improve Liver Function with Red and Near-Infrared Light Therapy

The study of red light therapy to enhance the health of the liver is still in its infancy. So far, only animal studies have been done. However, in these studies, red and near-infrared light therapy yields very positive results for healing cirrhotic livers in rodents228 as well as in surgical applications, such as to enhance regeneration of the liver during liver transplants.

Increase Pancreas Health with Red and Near-Infrared Light Therapy

So far, there have been very few studies done on this organ with red and near-infrared light therapy. However, in human and animal studies conducted so far, red and near-infrared light therapy has proven to enhance islet cell function

before transplantation,230 and stimulate regeneration of islets and ducts in experimen...

Decrease Pain with Red and Near-Infrared Light Therapy

Red and near-infrared light therapy has been remarkably effective at reducing joint pain in virtually all areas of the body.

It’s worth noting that there are different types of pain that are caused by different things. Red/NIR light therapy almost certainly does not work equally well for all types of pain, regardless of location and cause of the pain. For that reason, not all studies on various types of pain have shown benefit.

Here are several conditions where red/NIR light has proven effective: Chronic neck pain235236 Knee pain237 Fibromyalgia Low back pain238 Chronic pain in the elbow, wrist and fingers239 Chronic joint disorders240 Sacroiliac joint pain241

Chronic tooth pain242,243 Osteoarthritic pain244 Tendinitis and myofascial pain245

Improve Immunity with Red and Near-Infrared Light Therapy

In human studies, red and near-infrared light therapy also boosted the immune systems and T cells of preoperative cancer patients without increasing tumor size. 248 (Researchers have expressed hope that these exciting results may mean a form of safe treatment for immunodeficiency diseases in humans.)

Another study found that red/NIR light therapy to the bone marrow could increase the platelet count and help resolve low blood platelets caused by chemotherapy or by an autoimmune disease.

Help Heal Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Spinal Cord Injury with Red and Near-Infrared Light Therapy

Red light therapy is bringing recovery and enhanced cognition to those suffering from traumatic brain injury. Patients who have suffered TBI report improved cognition, better sleep, and enhanced recovery from the traumatic experience of their accident.

Improve Stem Cell Therapy with Red and Near-Infrared Light Therapy

Researchers have also found that red and near-infrared light therapy can help repair heart tissue after a heart attack.

Overall, red and near-infrared light therapy has proven to speed internal wound healing, cell regeneration, cell proliferation, promote cellular migration and prevent development of ROS and apoptosis (cell death).

Fall Asleep Faster and Improve Sleep Quality

There is some research suggesting that red/NIR light can impact melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone produced primarily by the pineal gland in the brain, and even most non-scientists are somewhat familiar with melatonin for its role in promoting sleep.

The studies found increased melatonin in blood circulation following red/NIR light exposure, and studies have also found dramatic benefit to sleep in people with insomnia.

There is one more thing I want to add about melatonin… Most people know melatonin as a sleep-inducing hormone. And it is certainly that. But most people have no idea that melatonin is imperative for mitochondrial function, protects mitochondria from damage, and is vital for mitochondrial regeneration while we sleep.

Melatonin benefits our mitochondria in numerous ways, including: Preventing free radical damage directly in the actual mitochondria299,300 (which is quite unique to melatonin since virtually all other “antioxidants” cannot do this). Regulation of mitochondrial bioenergetic function and maintaining respiratory complex activities, electron transport chain, and ATP production in mitochondria.301 Acting as a neuroprotectant in the brain, preventing the kind of oxidative stress/nitrosative stress-induced mitochondrial dysfunction seen in experimental models of Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and Huntington’s disease.302 Potentially slowing aging.

Improve Brain Health, and Slow Progression of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease with Red and Near-Infrared Light Therapy

Red and near-infrared light therapy is having a profound impact in diseases and conditions of the nervous system of all kinds from traumatic brain injury, to spinal cord injury, peripheral nerve injury, painful diabetic neuropathy, and has potential to help reverse Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, and may potentially contribute to delaying and/or halting them if caught early enough.

Red and near-infrared light have been shown to:306,307,308,309,310 Benefit cognitive performance and memory Improved mitochondrial function of brain cells Have a protective effect on neurons Improve cellular repair of neurons Increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) Decrease brain inflammation (decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines and increased anti-inflammatory cytokines)

Recent studies have now found that red and near-infrared light therapy may significantly slow the progression of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

Although researchers are still unclear as to the exact way that near-infrared-induces its neuroprotective effects, they believe it operates by: Activating healing intracellular cascades that result in the survival of target and surrounding cells. Spurring neurogenesis (growth and birth of neurons in the brain) through increases in BDNF, for example. Triggering systemic protective mechanisms.

Enhance Muscle Gain, Strength, Endurance, and Recovery with Red and Near-Infrared Light Therapy

Red/NIR light with exercise makes a potent combination. Not only does red/NIR light help you recover faster, it seems to amplify everything that happens with exercise—increased muscle gain, fat loss, performance, strength, and endurance.

The muscles are packed with mitochondria, because ATP is needed for every muscle twitch and movement, no matter how insignificant.

Studies provide evidence that red and near-infrared light therapy powerfully help prevent muscle fatigue, enhance muscle strength and endurance, increase fat loss responses from exercise, increase muscle growth responses from exercise, and promote faster recovery.

How does red and near-infrared light affect muscles—what is it actually doing to cause these benefits? It works through several important mechanisms in the body: Red and near-infrared light help promote the production of internal antioxidants by your cells, which prevents oxidative stress and damage to the muscle tissue (when light is applied before exercise).334,335 Red and near-infrared light help reduce inflammation that will lead to cellular damage (and fatigue) in the muscle tissue as well. 336,337 Protect damaged muscles from secondary damage from further exercise. Pre-conditioning: By using the light prior to exercise, it creates a “pre-conditioning” effect where the muscle cells suffer less damage from the exercise, as well as display higher strength/stamina in subsequent exercise following the initial bout of exercise. Red and near-infrared light decrease lactic acid production by muscles. Red and near-infrared light improve mitochondrial function during exercise. Increases acetylcholine receptors on muscles (this is the neurotransmitter released from nerve cells that stimulates muscle contraction). Red and near-infrared light increase the production of specific types of heat shock proteins that protect cells from oxidative damage, stress, and apoptosis (early cell death).338 Red and near-infrared light also enhance muscle growth, as well as increasing strength significantly.339 Red and near-infrared light therapy promotes the development of muscle stem cells, myo...

Red and near-infrared light also have the profound benefit of increasing mitochondrial adaptations and mitochondrial biogenesis (the creation of new mitochondria) following exercise.

The researchers concluded that pre-conditioning the muscles with red/NIR light (i.e. using the light prior to exercise) improves muscular performance and accelerates recovery.343

athletes who were given the LED light therapy prior to the exercise had significantly lower levels of creatine kinase (a marker for muscle damage)

red/NIR light done prior to weight training improved performance and decreased muscle damage.

The group that received the light therapy for 30 seconds before exercise had significantly lower levels of creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)—both markers of muscle damage—suggesting that the light therapy decreased the level of muscle damage.347

Another study compared red/NIR light therapy with LEDs to cold water immersion (e.g. ice baths) as a recovery method after exercise and found that red/NIR light improved recovery more than ice baths.