Red Light Therapy for Weight Loss

Safe and effective weight loss is a goal for many people, whether it is for better health, a more attractive body, or both. Suppose you have had disappointing results with diet, appetite suppressants, or other weight loss methods. In that case, it is worth considering red light therapy. Clinical research has shown that it can reduce excess fat, which ultimately leads to weight loss.

Red light therapy is best known for its effectiveness in relieving pain and treating chronic skin conditions, scars, skin damage due to aging, and accelerating muscle regeneration after injury. And most importantly, weight loss. In this article, we look at red light therapy for weight loss: what it does, how it works, and how it can help you reach your weight loss goals.

An Effective Fat Loss Strategy

A healthy lifestyle is the best way to lose excess fat and maintain a healthy weight. People can also benefit from the emotional boost that comes with getting results fast. It helps develop a confident and positive attitude, which can increase willpower and lead to good habits like healthy eating, portion control, daily exercise, and stress management.

So what does light therapy have to do with it? I am going to describe all that in the following sections of the article, but here’s some heads up. Red light therapy is able to enhance both your body and mind. This means, with regular usage of light therapy you will get more motivation to focus on your other weight loss methods like eating a healthy diet, spending time at the gym, and sleeping early. That does not mean light therapy does not have any direct impact on weight loss, you are going to find out in the following sections.

How Can Red Light Therapy Help Me Lose Weight?

Red light therapy, also known as photobiomodulation or low-level laser therapy, promotes weight loss. It uses LED lamps to bathe the body in light waves in the red and near-infrared spectrum. Red light and near-infrared (NIR) are found in a narrow spectrum of visible sunlight, which at the cellular level has therapeutic effects on the human body.

Increased Cell Metabolism

Red light and NIR stimulates cellular energy. Because red and NIR photons are absorbed by chromophores in mitochondria, this stimulates the production of energy in cells. Increased cellular energy leads to healthier cells and better cellular performance, which reduces inflammation and better regulates cell reproduction. The result? Increased metabolism and improved general functioning of body organs.

Increased Muscle Mass

Red light therapy has been shown to increase muscle mass. Muscle requires more energy (each pound of muscle can burn 50 calories per day at rest), which means you will burn more calories even if you don’t exercise. One study found that athletes exposed to the red light before and after a workout had faster muscle recovery and increased muscle growth.

Thyroid Regulation

Hypothyroidism, or a malfunctioning thyroid gland, has been linked to excessive weight gain. Red light therapy can reduce the autoimmune activity of the thyroid, which helps restore normal metabolic regulatory functions.

Reduced Insulin Resistance

Red light helps you lose weight by regulating thyroid function, increasing cell metabolism, recovering after exercise, and much more!

Red light therapy, along with exercise, has been shown to reduce insulin resistance and body fat. This was the result of a study conducted by Brazilian researchers that included 64 overweight women.

The women participated in a 20-week program that combined exercise (three weekly aerobic and strength training sessions) with red light therapy. Researchers measured both insulin and fat breakdown and found that adding red light therapy to an exercise program reduced insulin resistance and fat mass by 5.6 %.

Reduction of Fat Cells

Red light triggers the formation of small openings or pores in fat cells, releasing fatty acids called lipids. One study found that after just four minutes of exposure to 635nm red light, 80% of the lipids were released from the fat cells. After six minutes, almost all of the fat was released.

Scientists believe that red light causes temporary pores to form in fat cells, which allow lipids to escape. Red light also appears to stimulate adipocyte apoptosis, which is the natural death of cells. This can also cause the release of stored lipids in cells.

Bottom Line

Before deciding to use light therapy to boost your weight loss efforts, you should consult with a doctor first. Some people have sensitive skin and might face side effects if they are exposed to LED light for too long.