Photobiomodulation/Low Level Laser Therapy

[Ocean]

Keyhole, thanks for posting all this fascinating information. It came at the right time for me.

 

[Laura]

Keyhole, thanks for posting all this fascinating information. It came at the right time for me.

And you can read about our experiments with same here:
https://cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php/topic,44627.0.html

 

[Oxajil]

Keyhole, thanks for posting all this fascinating information. It came at the right time for me.

And you can read about our experiments with same here:
https://cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php/topic,44627.0.html

Wow, the results you've had is great!

I was wondering if this could perhaps also help with retinal issues, or even prevent or perhaps even heal corneal scarring? I have noticed that 'blue light' makes things worse, especially really big and bright lights (the regular ones). And when there's corneal scarring, the eye is more sensitive. The article posted by Keyhole mentions evidence of retinal protection. And I found this paper here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4768515/

Photobiomodulation for the treatment of retinal diseases: a review

Photobiomodulation (PBM), also known as low level laser therapy, has recently risen to the attention of the ophthalmology community as a promising new approach to treat a variety of retinal conditions including age-related macular degeneration, retinopathy of prematurity, diabetic retinopathy, Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy, amblyopia, methanol-induced retinal damage, and possibly others. This review evaluates the existing research pertaining to PBM applications in the retina, with a focus on the mechanisms of action and clinical outcomes. All available literature until April 2015 was reviewed using PubMed and the following keywords: “photobiomodulation AND retina”, “low level light therapy AND retina”, “low level laser therapy AND retina”, and “FR/NIR therapy AND retina”. In addition, the relevant references listed within the papers identified through PubMed were incorporated. The literature supports the conclusion that the low-cost and non-invasive nature of PBM, coupled with the first promising clinical reports and the numerous preclinical-studies in animal models, make PBM well-poised to become an important player in the treatment of a wide range of retinal disorders. Nevertheless, large-scale clinical trials will be necessary to establish the PBM therapeutic ranges for the various retinal diseases, as well as to gain a deeper understanding of its mechanisms of action.

And the article on SOTT mentioned by Gaby:

6. Photobiomodulation research examples: Eyes

6.1. Human studies

In 2008, two German physicians published a retrospective report of 203 patients with the age-related macular degeneration. According to the paper, treatment with near-infrared light (780 nm) improved visual acuity in 95 percent of the patients, and the treatment was also associated with reduced edema, bleeding, metamorphopsia, scotopia and dyschromatopsia.

The beneficial results lasted for 3-36 months after the treatment. The report was generally very promising. However, these kinds of retrospective reports are considered to have a high risk of bias, and should be confirmed by high-quality controlled studies (Ivandic&Ivandic 2008).

In 2016, Canadian researchers published very similar results from an observational study, where they used mainly a red LED light (660 nm). The therapy was associated with improved visual acuity and contrast sensitivty, and reduced drusen (Merry et al. 2016). This research group is currently working on a randomized trial (LIGHTSITE1) in order to repeat these findings with a proper methodology.

6.2. Animal studies

Research groups from a wide range of countries (UK, Australia, Spain, Iran, Italy, India, USA) have studied the effects of photobiomodulation on retinal diseases.

According to the study results, red light appears protective against various sources of retinal degeneration, eg. age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, light-induced retinal damage, oxygen-induced retinopathy and methanol toxicity (Eells et al. 2016, Geneva 2016).

 

[MusicMan]

I saw a query about pulsing the light at 10-40Hz. Way back in 1965, I saw a demonstration of an audio modulated light beam, when I was doing my Navy electrical training. Fascinating stuff. Anyway I figured something like this could be used to give you the ten to forty Hertz range of modulation, rather than pulsing it. All you need is an audio generator which will give that frequency range, and apply the speaker outputs to the LED array. Your amplifier would have to be able to give you enough current to drive the LED's.

Something like this:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Modulating-Audio-on-a-LED/

I'm sure Scottie could knock one up in a jiffy.

 

[monotonic]

For the spotlights that have a daylight turnoff feature, the photosensor could perhaps be connected to an audio source to do the same thing. I would have to see the internals of the device though.

 

[HowToBe]

The effects on vision remind me of a small book we have somewhere, the title is something like "Heal your vision without glasses", and it contains various eye movement and blinking exercises which they claim improve the muscular tension (for proper eye shape and strengthening the focusing mechanism) and increase the flow of nutrients to the eyes.

Anyway, one exercise was to put a 100 Watt incandescent bulb in a lamp, and "look" at it with your eyes closed for something like five minutes each day. On the aside it made me wonder if turning the face toward the sun with the eyes closed for a few minutes would be even better.

 

[Galaxia2002]

I know that what is referring this post is only to light and not heat, but I started to wonder when will be helpful the use Infrared with heat since I have one of them at home and not the LED's one, and started to look in the literature and I stumbled with heat shock proteins (HSP). These are proteins that are produced when the temperature increase fast in cells, their main function is to correct the spacial form of defective proteins, when it "fold" wrong, and protect the cell, which seems to be very important in healing. Apparently induce heat could be really healing. This literally sound as little robots reconstructing the body.

Maybe this help to clarify if is wrong to accompany the infrared with or without heat (I am not talking here about far IR sauna necessarily but maybe near IR with heat).


https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/heat-shock-proteins-infrared-frequencies-natural-immune-robby-besner

Heat Shock Proteins and Infrared Frequencies: Natural Immune Responses Enhanced with Infrared

Robert A. Besner - Professor of Infrared and Applied Infrared Sciences - Anpan Business School

Prepared for: 28th World Conference on Infrared Infrared Medical Conference - Shenzhen, China November, 2014

For more than a century, scientists from different points of the globe have studied the positive influences of the Sun’s energy on all living things on Earth. Recently, medical research has been focusing on cellular health and the mechanisms within the body that protect and provide all the components to extend the health of the human cell. One aspect that has presented itself is the body’s own natural defenses against invaders (bacteria, microphages, parasites, pathogens etc.) and the immunological response of T-cells.

Heat Shock Proteins (hereinafter referred to as “HSP”) play an integral part in initiating and directing the body’s natural immune response. The recent discovery that Heat Shock Proteins can be produced by exposure to infrared thermal frequencies has launched a new campaign to define how these chaperones of the immune system serve and protect the integrity of cellular health.

This campaign commences with a series of introductory questions defining the biology and the functional biology involved.

• What are heat shock proteins ?
• When are heat shock proteins created by the human body?
• How do heat shock proteins influence cellular health?
• What are the long-term research needs of heat shock proteins?

The induction of HSP-directed T-cell reactivity can be triggered by various natural stress inducers, including fever and mechanical stress, natural exposure to microbial invasion or infection, or through commensal gut micro-flora. In addition, non-natural stress inducers, including hyperthermia, HSP-inducing drugs (such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and aspirin), whole cell vaccines, and HSPderived peptides, can also serve as factors in the initiation of the HSP response.

What are these things called Heat Shock Proteins?

By definition, heat shock proteins are a large family of inducible-expressed protein “chaperones” involved in assisting protein folding and unfolding within the cells. This folding and unfolding process is an aspect of cellular mechanics only recently occupying the interest and time of researchers. In brief, protein molecules are the yeomen responsible for virtually all cellular biological functions. 1 These specific protein molecules we call heat shock proteins are ubiquitous and are vital watchdog assistants to our living cells. But while the research in this area is still in an infancy stage as, the realization of the immunological significance of HSPs is growing as fast as HSP research is extensive.

As these proteins prepare for their various duties, they actually fold into exact three dimensional shapes. If these chain-like molecules fail to correctly fold, researchers are finding that such incorrect folding may be the cause of a number of ailments such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

We know from the research of genetic coding that most biological functions at the cellular level are the responsibility of proteins. Human cells contain an astoundingly diverse number of proteins, serving a variety of fundamental functions in cellular metabolism, cell development, and cell regulation. Each unique protein corresponds to a specific sequence of amino acids. However, notwithstanding its DNA/RNA coding, new protein chains are quite impotent. It is only functionally active when it adopts an exact, defined three-dimensional pattern of fold. In order to complete the folding process when protein chains morph into unique three-dimensional models, protein chains require assistance of this cellular level function by “molecular chaperones.” Though there are many molecular chapeones, many of them are stress proteins or heat shock proteins. Their basic function is to assist those cells under conditions of stress to synthesize and unfold, creating a complex myriad of protein quality control. Incorrect, abnormal folding creates proteins that are toxic to cells and cell functions. General theory suggests that HSPs become present when a protein chain fails to fold correctly and thus fails to fulfill its biological function. The HSP chaperones appear and step in to assist the aberrant protein in self-correction. In the dense and highly congested cellular environment, HSPs also protect undeveloped proteins from ultimately misfolding and clumping together (also known as “aggregating”).

When are heat shock proteins created by the human body?

The timing and interaction of HSPs with an unhealthy cell structure is a current subject of much research.2 Part of that research includes the interaction of infrared heat as a trigger or an enhancement to the introduction of HSPs at the cellular level.

2. M.Y. Sherman and A. L. Goldberg, “Cellular defenses against unfolded proteins: A cell biologist thinks about neurodegenerative diseases, Neuron 29, 15-32 (2001).

Studies have shown that the application of targeted, penetrative heat to the body, such as heat caused by thermal energy at the infrared frequencies, can stimulate a wide range of beneficial outcomes, including a strengthened immune system, stress relief, and even (to a degree) cancer management. The practical implications of HSPs are now being examined by a number of well-designed clinical trials. HSPs may play yet more fundamental roles in immune responses because of a series of surprising findings that they can modulate the functions of antigen presenting cells, in a receptor-dependent manner.

HSPs are created by the human body when the body senses a fear, a biological change in the proper balance of cellular functioning. Though HSPs are normally found in cells under balanced conditions (primarily to assist and chaperone in molecular self-correction), they become present in higher levels when exposed to a sudden temperature jump or other stressors.

What differentiates HSPs from other proteins naturally formed by the body? As the name suggests, heat plays a critical role. Heat shock proteins are stimulated in response to abnormally high body temperatures and or the environmental and physiological stressors normally imposed. These special proteins, as molecular chaperones, are generated in part to help protect the cell from the stress of exposure to high temperatures and other influences, exposure that typically indicates a threat or danger to the overall body in general and the overall body’s homeostasis in particular.

Infrared frequencies can enhance the body’s internal natural healing mechanism, by targeting cells with temperatures high enough to stimulate heat shock proteins but still low enough to avoid cell damage.

Infrared Frequencies and Temperature Rise

Many of the positive effects attributed to heat-based health therapies (also known as thermo-therapies or hyper-thermic treatments) can be traced back to specific stressor proteins including HSPs. These proteins are an integral part of the cell’s internal repair mechanism for once HSPs sense stress or a sudden temperature rise, their functional duty in our biology includes:

• Enhancing our immune system function by helping make healthy cells stronger and therefore more resistant to disease.
• Further coordinating with our immune system to create clear biomarkers, or a “road map” to damaged cells that are more likely to fall prey to infection. By expelling old, damaged or aberrant proteins from within the cell walls, HSPs allow the immune system to more accurately identify cells that are deteriorating, malfunctioning, or threatening overall cellular health. HSPs clearly influences the body’s expressed desire for homeostasis.
• Ensuring normal cellular proteins formation, growth, and function), serving as a cellular level type traffic engineer by transferring proteins to different parts of the cell.
• Assisting the cell to safely eliminate old, damaged proteins as waste products.
• Alerting the immune system to the presence of cells with damaged, unformed, or malformed proteins.
• Repairing mis-folded, damaged proteins thereby ensuring proteins have their proper structure and function.
• Providing preventative maintenance by directly scavenging free radicals and also by supporting cellular antioxidant capacity through its effects on maintaining glutathione.

How do HSPs influence cellular health?

The Body’s GPS for the T-Cells to Search and Destroy

Increasing evidence suggests that HSPs may play important roles in both innate and adaptive immunity. 3 In combating against infections, antigen-presenting cells (also known as accessory cells) serve to seek out antigen materials and bring it to the cell surface. Ultimately, this unwanted material is handed over to the T-Cells of the body’s immune system. This mechanism can be activated by a variety of microbial molecules, such as lipopolysaccharide, and un-methylated components of DNA, which then trigger adaptive Tcell and B-cell immunity reactants4. For generating immune responses against tumors, allografts, and other self-generated antigens, there is a need for endogenous non-microbial molecules that activate these accessory cells. Studies thus far suggest that HSPs could be such endogenous molecules that activate accessory cells. And HSPs would be triggered by a natural enhancement of infrared heat.

3 Javid Babak, Paul MacAry, and Paul Lehner, Paul, “Structure and Function: Heat Shock Proteins ad Adaptive Immunity”, J Immunol 2007; 179:2035-2040 4 Valentina Tremaroli, and Fredrick Backhed, Fredrik, ”Functional Interactions Between the Gut Microbiota and host Metabolism”, Nature 489, 242–249 (13 September 2012):

HSP Research Inspires Cancer Treatment Applications

The ability of heat shock proteins to flag diseased cells for the body’s immune system is of particular interest to cancer researchers. Some researchers speculate that heat shock proteins bind with protein fragments from dead malignant cells and present them to the immune system. The immune system is then able to dispose of these malignant cells more efficiently and completely. In addition, heat shock proteins can activate lymphocytes that promote the synthesis of anti-cancer interferons to strengthen the body’s immune system.5

HSP Stimulate HGH for Muscle Repair

Research has shown that when rats were exposed to intermittent heat sessions, they had a "robust" expression of heat shock proteins that was associated with 30 percent more muscle regrowth compared to a control group.6 The expression of HSPs persisted for up to 48 hours after the heat session and may actually lead to a higher expression of heat shock proteins even when you are not exercising. When you do exercise, heat acclimation may prompt an even greater release in HSPs than normal.7

"This is a great example of how a person can theoretically use hyper-thermic conditioning to increase their own heat shock proteins and thereby reap the rewards," including muscle growth and more, according to Dr. Rhonda Patrick.8 Human Growth Hormone (HGH) is the foundational biochemical that addresses allserious muscle loss and muscle repair. The bio thermal induced by the resonance effect of Infrared frequency will initiate the HSP response that will in turn trigger the HGH that the body produces to repair and build muscle. Exposure to heat has been shown to increase lifespan (by up to 15% percent) in flies and worms, a benefit that is attributed to HSPs.9 One particular HSP (the HSP70 gene) has also been associated with increased longevity, which suggests there may be anti-aging benefits to regular infrared heat stress.10

5 Charu Kapoor, “Heat Shock Protein (HSP) and Cancer: an Overview,” Am. J. Med.Dent. Sci., 2013, 1(1): 31-34 6 Kimberly A. Huey, “Regulation of HSP25 expression and phosphorylation in functionally overloaded rat plantaris and soleus muscles,” J. App. Phys., 2006, 100(2): 451-456 7 Ibid. 8 http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2014/04/10/saunas-hyperthermic-conditioning/ itunes 9 Ibid. 10 Ibid.

Infrared Heat Supports Muscle Recovery After an Injury

Heat treatments even induce heat shock proteins HSPs that help protect against rhabdomyolysis, a serious degenerative muscle tissue condition that is one of the most common side effects associated with the use of statin cholesterol-lowering drugs.11 If you've had a muscle injury, you may be immobilized for lengthy periods, which generally will cause your muscles to begin to atrophy. Hyper-thermic conditioning with the use of infrared heat has been shown to slow muscle atrophy during disuse by up to 32 % percent in one animal study.12

Whole-body heat treatment both prevents muscle atrophy and increases muscle regrowth, courtesy of elevated HSP levels. During injury, you may be immobilized but you do not have to be very mobile to use an infrared heating pad or sit in the infrared sauna a few times a week to boost your HSPs. All indications suggest utilizing infrared frequencies to create a bio-thermal will enhance the injury and recovery process.

HSP Triggers Increased Insulin Sensitivity

Insulin performs multiple functions in your body. It helps mobilize or signal a certain kind of protein to mobilize glucose from outside your cells, and it is part of the mTOR (Mammalian Target of Rapamycin) mechanism, which causes protein to be created and build muscle.13 The mechanism that builds protein in your muscles is part of the insulin cascade pathway, and it cannot be bypassed.

While it is common knowledge that in order to build protein in the muscle and grow muscle, the body must activate the mTOR mechanism. In reaction, the muscle is signaled to build protein. If your insulin receptors are insensitive, like with type 2 diabetes, muscle wasting is inevitable. HSP keeps those insulin receptors sensitive and assists in regulating protein metabolism by inhibiting protein degradation.

Specifically, insulin works by increasing protein synthesis by stimulating the uptake of amino acids into skeletal muscle and decreasing protein degradation by inhibiting proteasome, a protein complex that is responsible for cellular protein degradation.14

Hyper thermic conditioning is also known to help improve insulin sensitivity, which may be yet another route by which it ultimately boosts muscle growth and performance. One animal study even found that 30 minutes of hyper thermic treatment, three times a week for 12 weeks, resulted in a 31% percent decrease in insulin levels and a significant reduction in blood sugar levels. This has implications not only for your muscles, of course, but also for the many other chronic diseases that are driven by insulin resistance, like type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

11 Ibid. 12 Ibid. 13 M. V. Blagosklonny, “TOR-centric view on insulin resistance and diabetic complications: perspective for endocrinologists and gerontologists,” Cell Death and Disease, 2013, : e964 14 Ibid.

Infrared Bio Thermo-therapy

Infrared bio-thermals can encourage the synthesis of heat shock proteins by using infrared heat to create an environment for the body that allows HSPs to achieve a thermo-therapy treatment at a mild, deep, long lasting bio-heat. The physiological experience is enhanced by introducing the healing qualities of gemstones, allowing the synergistic effects to channel the far infrared rays to transfer directly into the body and ultimately the cell. Uniquely qualified infrared frequency has a lower originating temperature so that there is still ample enough bio thermal created to stimulate the development of these beneficial HSP proteins without causing cell damage.

To stimulate the creation of heat shock proteins and use the available infrared frequency influence, the human body receives negative ion therapy plus deeppenetrating warmth and temperature elevation. Utilization of infrared frequencies to induce higher temperatures will direct the production of HSPs to a particular area of muscle or organ repair. Palpation will demonstrate relatively cool sensation; while you will feel a pleasant sensation of warmth throughout your body the far infrared rays can safely penetrate deeply into your body. You may also find yourself sweating as your body temperature climbs. This is a perfectly normal part of the bio resonance heat therapy.

What are the long-term research needs of HSP and Infrared?

The role of heat shock proteins in treatments for immune deficiencies and cancer is ongoing. The use of heat shock proteins in treating existing conditions and predicting response to anticancer treatments is becoming more and more widespread, and is even being used in anticancer vaccines. The ongoing study of heat shock proteins continues to yield great contributions to basic and clinical cancer research.

Conclusion

Infrared frequency serves as a fundamental natural stress inducer. The heat shock proteins triggered by Infrared play an integral part in initiating and directing the body’s natural immune response. While the induction of HSPs can be initiated by various natural stress inducers, it can also be induced by non-natural stress influences. In both cases, the promotion of HSP leads to a natural immunological response and cascading benefits for cellular health and overall health of the human body.

Sources:

Babak, Javid, MacAry, Paul, and Lehner, Paul. Structure and Function: Heat Shock Proteins ad Adaptive Immunity. J Immunol 2007; 179:2035-2040

Balch, W. E., Morimoto, R. I., Dillin, A. & Kelly, J. W. Adapting proteostasis for disease intervention. Science 319, 916-919 (2008

Blagosklonny,.V. “TOR-centric view on insulin resistance and diabetic complications: perspective for endocrinologists and gerontologists,” Cell Death and Disease, 2013, : e964

Brignull, H. R., Morley, J. F. & Morimoto, R. I. The stress of misfolded proteins: C. elegans models for neurodegenerative disease and aging. Adv Exp Med Biol. 594:1- 13 594, 167-189 (2007).

Dobson, C. M., Sali, A. & Karplus, M. Protein Folding - a Perspective From Theory and Experiment. Angewandte Chemie (International Edition in English) 37, 868-893 (1998).

Hartl, F. U. & Hayer-Hartl, M. Molecular chaperones in the cytosol: from nascent chain to folded protein. Science 295, 1852-1858 (2002).

Huey, Kimberly A. “Regulation of HSP25 expression and phosphorylation in functionally overloaded rat plantaris and soleus muscles,” J. App. Phys., 2006, 100(2): 451-456

Kapoor, Charu. “Heat Shock Protein (HSP) and Cancer: an Overview,” Am. J. Med.Dent. Sci., 2013, 1(1): 31-34

Sherman, M. Y. & Goldberg, A. L. Cellular defenses against unfolded proteins: A cell biologist thinks about neurodegenerative diseases. Neuron 29, 15-32 (2001).

Valentina Tremaroli, Backhed, Fredrik. Functional Interactions Bentween the Gut Microbiota and host Metabolism. Nature 489, 242–249 (13 September 2012):

Winklhofer, K. F., Tatzelt, J. & Haass, C. The two faces of protein misfolding: gainand loss-of-function in neurodegenerative diseases. Embo J 27, 336-349 (2008).

Professor Besner was appointed full professorship status by ANPAN Business School in 2013 in infrared and in applied studies of infrared science in 2014. Formally educated at Boston University, Mr. Besner was granted a Bachelor of Science Degree from that institution for his studies in psychology, biology, and Business Administration. He subsequently engaged in graduate study and research at Case Western University’s Graduate School of Biology/Anatomy in Cleveland, Ohio. He has lectured extensively on infrared and the application of infrared sciences on behalf of Therasage.

There is a lot of info on the net, this one catch my eye:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100812070040.htm

Heat shock protein can restore nerve damage in diabetic mice

Researchers have been able to use a common chaperone protein, Hsp70, to reverse the loss of function in the nerves of mice with diabetes.

Writing in ASN NEURO, Michael J. Urban and colleagues at the University of Kansas suggest that Hsp70 could be used in the future to cure the loss of feeling in the limbs that afflicts many diabetics.

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is a common complication of diabetes and leads to high levels of pain, the death of sensory neurons and numbness in the extremities. Caused by increased blood glucose levels leading to vasoconstriction, neuronal hypoxia and detrimental glycosylation of key proteins, it has been a difficult condition to cure, with treatments limited to heavy glucose control and pain management.

However, this new study, based around the up regulation of Hsp70 by inhibiting the activity of Hsp70's regulatory protein, Hsp90, has led to the reversal of neuronal degeneration in mice with DPN. Hsp90, a key regulator of Hsp70 and the cellular heat shock response (HSR), had its activity inhibited by a novel C-terminal inhibitor, KU-32. The resultant increase in Hsp70 activity is believed to reverse DPN by Hsp70's ability to refold aggregated and damaged proteins, whilst Hsp70 provides pain relief by its ability to block the JNK protein kinase activity.

This HSP seems to be responsible of the healing observed in cupping therapy and who know what more else?

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28761205

BACKGROUND:

Wet cupping therapy is a complementary therapy in pain management. The mechanism of this therapy, however, needs further elucidation. Cells injured by wet cupping therapy seem to stimulate the expression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70). Its benefit in pain reduction could be mediated by the expression of ß-endorphin. This study aimed at determining the correlation between HSP70 and ß-endorphin after wet cupping therapy.

[...]

CONCLUSIONS: The benefit of wet cupping therapy in terms of pain reduction in rats could be mediated by the expression of HSP70 and ß-endorphin.

 

[Keyhole]

I am putting together an article on Photobiomodulation and "Light as medicine".

While doing some research, I came across this recent paper (Jan 2017) by Hamblin and a couple of other researchers.

It looked at light's ability to stimulate the proliferation of stem cells derived from adipocytes.

To summarise:

1. It found that Red and NIR stimulated the growth of these stem cells, but that blue and green light inhibited it!

Cell proliferation is increased after PBM with 660 nm and 810 nm, but is decreased after 415 nm and 540 nm
To characterize the effects of different wavelengths of PBM on the proliferation of hASCs, we used the sulforhodamine B assay which is based on the measurement of cellular protein content to determine the cell density. In order to detect the time course of cell proliferation after PBM, we used 4 different wavelengths of light (3 J/cm2) to stimulate the cells at 5 time points (48 h, 24 h, 6 h, 3 h, 1 h) before the SRB assay. We found that 3 J/cm2 of 810 nm and 660 nm laser promoted hASCs proliferation, but 415 nm and 540 nm wavelengths showed an inhibitory effect on proliferation at the same dose.

2. It found that Red/NIR increased ATP concentrations, but that blue and green reduced it by up to 20%!

Intracellular ATP levels show a biphasic increase with 660 nm and 810 nm, but a dose dependent decrease with 415 nm and 540 nm
To examine why 3 J/cm2 of blue and green PBM inhibited cell proliferation, while red and NIR PBM enhanced cell proliferation, we irradiated the cells with different dosages and measured the intracellular ATP content three hours after irradiation. We found that 3 J/cm2 of 660 nm and 810 nm PBM could increase intracellular ATP level by 15–20%, while 3 J/cm2 of 415 nm and 540 nm decreased intracellular ATP level in the region of 10%, 3 h after irradiation (Fig. 2A). We also found that 660 nm and 810 nm showed a biphasic dose response, lower doses showed stimulation of ATP, while high doses (30 J/cm2) of 660 nm and 810 nm light produced progressively lower ATP increases until background levels were reached at 30 J/cm2 (Fig. 2D,E). 660 nm and 810 nm both exhibited a peak dose response 3 h after irradiation at 3 J/cm2 (P < 0.001). In contrast, 415 nm and 540 nm, showed a progressively linear reduction in ATP with increasing light doses to a maximum of 30 J/cm2, (Fig. 2B,C).

3. It found that Red/NIR light produced a small amount of reactive oxygen species and increased mitochondrial membrane potential. It found that Blue and green light produced large amounts of reactive oxygen species (blue - 45% increase), significantly increased intracellular calcium (which can be highly excitatory FWIW), and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential.

Effects of 415 nm and 540 nm compared with 660 nm and 810 nm on intracellular calcium, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), intracellular ROS and intracellular pH
In the following set of experiments, we compared the effects of 4 different wavelengths of PBM all delivered at the sane dose of 3 J/cm2 on intracellular calcium (Fig. 3A), MMP (Fig. 3B), intracellular ROS (Fig. 3C), and intracellular pH (Fig. 3D) by flow cytometry. We verified our results using images taken by confocal microscopy (Fig. 3E). Figure 3A shows that 3 J/cm2 of 415 nm and 540 nm significantly increased intracellular calcium level 1 min after PBM, and the same dose of 540 nm showed the most pronoinced effect amongst the 4 different wavelengths tested (#P < 0.05, ***P < 0.001). Figure 3B shows 3 J/cm2 of 415 nm had the greatest impact on reducing MMP by about 30 percent 1 hour after PBM, while 3 J/cm2 of 540 nm PBM also reduced MMP, but not so much as blue light. In contrary red and NIR light increased MMP by 8-15% at a dose of 3 J/cm2 (***P < 0.001). Figure 3C shows that all four different wavelengths of PBM increased intracellular ROS level at a dose of 3 J/cm2, blue light increased ROS most (about 45%), while green, red and NIR showed progressively less ROS generation (***P < 0.001). Figure 3D shows that both 415 nm and 540 nm PBM reduced the intracellular pH level, with 540 nm having the most effect. 660 nm and 810 nm groups slightly (but significantly) showed increased intracellular pH values (*P < 0.05, ***P < 0.001). In Fig. 3E, images of ROS and MMP taken with the confocal microscope are shown. hASCs were irradiated with four different wavelengths PBM and images were taken 5 and 30 minutes after irradiation showing the same trend as the flow cytometry data in Fig. 3A–D. Blue and green light produced a large amount of ROS, and decreased MMP, while red and NIR produced a small amount of ROS, and increased the MMP level.

Blue/green light clearly do have their place in regulating physiology. The author speaks about a previous study showing that blue activated osteogenic cells, whereas red/IR didn't. However, the above evidence is a pretty firm indication that isolated blue light in the eye and on the skin is a powerful stressor, and supports Dr Wunsch's postulate that "red/IR light is nature's antidote to the blue, green and violet".

Here is the link to the full paper: Red (660 nm) or near-infrared (810 nm) photobiomodulation stimulates, while blue (415 nm), green (540 nm) light inhibits proliferation in human adipose-derived stem cells

 

[Keyhole]

I did another 'interview/presentation' thing on youtube, and this time it was about light. After watching, you will have a good idea of why artificial blue light is toxic and = stress (at both the endocrine & cellular level) - at night time and in the daytime!

"In this presentation I provide a brief introduction into how the human body is optimally adapted to full-spectrum sunlight and how different types of light exposure influences the way that the body handles nutrition. Although much attention is paid to nutrition for maintaining health, light is also plays a key role in how we process the energy coming from food.

Furthermore, we look at how red & infra-red light are essential components of sunlight and possess many different healing properties which can mitigate some of the damage caused by other aspects of sunlight. It is these frequencies of light which can be utilized to "tap into" one of nature's healing strategies to improve many different kinds of health conditions."

 

[987baz]

Great video, thanks Keyhole!

I have been using my infared lamp for quite a while now, I find it helps with testosterone increase, as well as aches and pain from exercise. My lamp is 850nm and only 60w but does the trick.
I have also made it part of my daily routine to get sunlight in the eyes as soon as I wake up which has definitely helped my circadian rhythm.

I have a question regarding how to use this information for people who work night shift, as in how would you go about using natural sunlight and infared lamps to help negate the effects of working nights on the circadian rhythm?

 

[Keyhole]

I

Great video, thanks Keyhole!

I have been using my infared lamp for quite a while now, I find it helps with testosterone increase, as well as aches and pain from exercise. My lamp is 850nm and only 60w but does the trick.
I have also made it part of my daily routine to get sunlight in the eyes as soon as I wake up which has definitely helped my circadian rhythm.

I have a question regarding how to use this information for people who work night shift, as in how would you go about using natural sunlight and infared lamps to help negate the effects of working nights on the circadian rhythm?

I am glad you liked it! I honestly don't think there is much that you can do to mitigate nightshifts. The best answer is unfortunatly to stop and find a different job. However, if I needed to, I would make sure to wear blue blockers 2-3 hours before going to bed and also that the bedroom was completely blacked out.

I would try to get red light immediately upon waking, then sunlight approximately half hour after waking.

Night shifts are a difficult one though. Sorry I couldnt be of more help

 

[987baz]

I am glad you liked it! I honestly don't think there is much that you can do to mitigate nightshifts. The best answer is unfortunatly to stop and find a different job. However, if I needed to, I would make sure to wear blue blockers 2-3 hours before going to bed and also that the bedroom was completely blacked out.

I would try to get red light immediately upon waking, then sunlight approximately half hour after waking.

Night shifts are a difficult one though. Sorry I couldnt be of more help

I was thinking blue blockers might be a good idea too, my friend is a nurse, so not sure if she can wear them at work, she also has a long drive home (about an hour) so I wasn't sure it was a good idea as far as safely driving home, but maybe when she gets home, chuck on the blue blockers and black out the bedroom.

Ok, red light first thing, then sunlight, got it!
In winter, which is fast approaching down here in Aus, she may not be able to get any sunlight, but she can always do the red light so, thanks mate, appreciate it :)

oh, and 15 minutes is still a good length of time for the red light? would you recommend any particular part of the body for lamp? It is 850nm 60W.

 

[whitecoast]

I recently finished reading the book Red Light Therapy by Ari Whiten, which was a great crash-course in red light therapy's benefits and how to do it properly. I posted about it in the infrabed thread originally, but since I think it should've gone here I wanted to cross-post the link: The infrabed

 

[Gwenllian]

After watching Keyhole's presentation about light I visited Red Light Man's website in the UK (one of his recommendations, but it bears repeating that he has no affiliations) and found that red light seems to help against floaters and more:

Eye conditions helped​

General vision – visual acuity, Cataracts, Diabetic Retinopathy, Macular Degeneration – aka AMD or age-related macular degeneration, Refractive Errors, Glaucoma, Dry Eye, floaters.

BTW, you can use the red light device with your eyes closed. According to them it still does the job. See their first answer at the bottom of the page.

You can also find a guide to Photobiomodulation dosing here.

I am now thinking of buying a red light/NIR combo, so I can use the device for different issues.

(Just a note that Red Light Man has recently reopened his business.)

 

[Gwenllian]

I recently finished reading the book Red Light Therapy by Ari Whiten, which was a great crash-course in red light therapy's benefits and how to do it properly. I posted about it in the infrabed thread originally, but since I think it should've gone here I wanted to cross-post the link: The infrabed

A few days ago I watched a video of Ari Whitten, in which he interviews dr. Michael Hamblin, who is one of the experts on red light therapy.

A few things that struck me were the tremendous benefits for people with cognitive impairment, like Alzheimer's. But also people with Parkinson's. Red light also helps people who are undergoing cancer treatments.

Also, he mentions the systemic effect red light has on our body. It's not surprising, for instance DMSO or acupuncture not only work on the area that is being treated, but also has a beneficial effect on others parts of the body.

Hamblin is fun to listen to, because he talks with verve and I love that about this interview.

I started using a red light lamp a few weeks ago and the scar on my face following an operation is fading very nicely. I also use the lamp after another small operation on my nose and although it is a bit early to say what the result will look like my nose seems to be healing very nicely. I love my red light lamp!