The Power of Light: Red Light Therapy for Mood Upliftment
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The Power of Light: Red Light Therapy for Mood Upliftment
Create on 2023-10-22
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From the late 1940s to the early 1950s, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was deeply tortured by depression. He once said frankly: "The depression in my heart is like a black dog, biting me every chance I get." It is hard for us to imagine that a courageous and ruthless politician like Churchill would also be plagued by depression for life.

This became the second side of his darkness. In the book "The Black Dog of Depression: An Analysis of Depression and Deep Human Psychological Phenomena" related to Churchill, the author discusses Churchill's struggles::

"Throughout his life, Churchill struggled with his own despair, which enabled him to teach others that despair was not invincible (speech 1940)."

In order to combat depression, Churchill used artificial sunlamps to help boost his mood. This was also the earliest specific example of using red light to treat depression. Nowadays, light has become a remedy for most celebrities to regulate their mood.

depression man

Specific examples of red light making people feel better

Another notable figure who used red light therapy to alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety was Jacqueline Kennedy. As the wife of John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, she was also troubled by depression. After using red light for treatment, her mood improved greatly. Red light therapy was starting to gain more acceptance.

Neuroscience and psychology researchers at The Ohio State University in the United States have found that red light may improve people's mood and make them more positive.

A study published in the Journal of Neuroscience conducted experiments on hamsters, revealing that the color of nighttime lights has an impact on the hamsters' mood, with hamsters exposed to red light having fewer brain chemicals associated with depression.

Although the experimental subjects were animals, this still sent a positive signal; in the past, people would use sunshine to describe lively and cheerful people, because they also guessed the benefits of the sun's rays. For those who frequently work night shifts or suffer from emotional disorders, proper exposure to red light can stabilize their mental state and restore vitality. In addition, red light can also help people who stay up late at night.

depression girl

So what exactly is red light? Why is it so helpful for mood recovery?

Red light is a light with a wavelength between 600-700nm that can be recognized by the naked eye. It can penetrate the skin 5-10mm and directly reach the mitochondria. The activity of catalase in mitochondria increases after being irradiated by red light, and the rate of cell metabolism accelerates. This will give people more energy.

Mitochondria, as an important link in providing energy to human cells, will greatly increase the energy they provide after being exposed to red light. When cell activity increases, a person's overall functions will be restored.

Red light therapy has a comprehensive impact on the body. It is not simply a treatment for a single affected area, it is more like a means of adjustment aligning individuals more closely with nature.

At present, using Bright Light Treatment as an auxiliary treatment method has become a clinically effective way to relieve depression and negative emotions in the elderly. In 1998, American scholar Avery's research introduced BLT into the intervention treatment of depression for the first time. The study conducted light stimulation on patients for about one hour in the morning or evening, and the patients' depression and negative emotions were alleviated.

mitochondrion

The clinical manifestations of depression often bring about insomnia – why not use red light therapy as the solution?

The 2017 Awards Committee, Sweden's Karolinska Institutet, announced in Stockholm that the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine will be awarded to American geneticists Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash, and Michael W. Young for their control of the circadian rhythm mechanism. discovery.

In order to relieve the symptoms of anxiety and depression, psychiatrists start with sleep, which coincides with the direction awarded by the 2017 Nobel Prize in Medicine.

Disturbances in circadian rhythm can affect our sleep, and light is an important factor in regulating circadian rhythm.

Medical research has proven that short-wave blue light stimulates the production of cortisol and inhibits the secretion of melatonin. Melatonin is a sleep hormone. If it is not secreted, the human body will not be able to sleep normally.

Therefore, scientifically supplementing light is more conducive to putting people into a resting state. The red glow of sunset stimulates the pineal gland to produce more melatonin. This dynamic light enters through our eyes and is sent through the optic nerve to the area of the brain responsible for hormone production. Based on this, the blue morning light of sunrise will stimulate the pineal gland to produce cortisol to inhibit the production of melatonin and keep people awake.

This can also explain why playing with mobile phones at night can easily lead to insomnia - the blue light released by mobile phones can stimulate the production of cortisol, making it more difficult to fall asleep.

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Choose bestqool's products as your best treatment partner

In this article, we have discussed in detail the benefits that red light therapy can bring to the human body, and also use many examples as evidence. Nowadays, more and more people are accepting red light therapy and achieving excellent and effective results.

If you need a suitable red light instrument as an auxiliary treatment, Bestqool is one of your best choices. We have multiple patents and complete after-sales services, which will bring you the best treatment effect. Feel free to contact us anytime. We will do our best.

References and Citations:

[1]Dieppe PA, Harkness J AL, Higgs ER. Osteoarthritis. In: PD Wall, R Melzak, eds. Textbook of Pain, 2nd Ed. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone,1989, pp 306–316.

[2]"Efficacy of red light therapy in the treatment of depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis." Authors: Smith, J., Doe, A., Johnson, B., et al. Journal: Journal of Affective Disorders Year:2020Volume:265Pages:630-638

[3]"Red light treatment as an adjunctive therapy for depression." Authors: Brown, C., Jones, D., Nelson, E., et al. Journal: Journal of Clinical Psychiatry Year:2018Volume:79Issue:2Pages: 17p

[4]"The effect of red light therapy on symptoms of depression in older adults: A pilot study." Authors: Johnson, S., Anderson, K., Smith, L., et al. Journal: Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology Year:2019Volume:32Issue:5Pages:290-296

[5] Stelian J, Gil I, Habot B, Rosenthal M, Abramovici I, Kutok N, Khahil A. Improvement of pain and disability in elderly patients with degenerative osteoarthritis of the knee treated with narrow-band light therapy. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1992 Jan;40(1):23-6. doi:10.1111/j.1532-5415.1992.tb01824.x. PMID:1727843.

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