Panel Series
Medically Reviewed by | Heidi Wright, BSN, RN, PCCN
Table of Contents
- What Causes Excess Weight?
- Why is Weight Loss Important?
- What is Red Light Therapy
- Red Light Therapy for Weight Loss
- Overview of Studies
- Using Red Light Therapy
As a society, we’ve been battling body fat for decades. As obesity rates climb, our overall wellness often plummets, leaving many of us in a healthcare crisis that is hard to overcome.
Although lifestyle changes involving the management of diet and exercise have long been the standard of treatment for assisting with weight loss, these measures alone may not be the best way to tackle fat reduction in all people. Exploring new ways to target adipose tissue and eliminate stubborn fat can complement a healthy lifestyle and support more people on their weight loss journeys.
One promising new therapy involves photobiomodulation, or the use of low-level laser light therapy (LLLT) to stimulate cells and change the way they behave.
Red light therapy is a new, popular option used for a variety of health and cosmetic purposes. This form of therapy uses specific wavelengths of light that penetrate deep into tissues and are thought to stimulate mitochondria, the energy powerhouse of the cells. These organelles are responsible for the production of adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. This is the cellular energy currency that your cells need to function properly.
As a newer form of therapy, potential applications for red light therapy sessions are still being discovered, with this modern form of therapy being used for skin care, sleep enhancement, wound healing, and much more. One potential application that has only recently been discussed, however, is the use of low-level light therapy (LLLT) (such as red light therapy) for promoting weight loss and assisting with ongoing weight management. Many people learning about this possible use wonder, “Can red light therapy be used for weight loss?”
The research into red light therapy and weight loss is still very new. However, there are some initial studies that indicate there may be some connection between using red light therapy and realizing a reduction in weight. There is some skepticism too about whether this research is valid. To understand this topic, it is necessary to examine the evidence from both points of view.
What Causes Excess Weight?
The exact causes of excess body weight can be complex and are the result of a combination of genetics, lifestyle choices, health conditions, and the environment to which one is exposed. At its core, weight gain is caused by an imbalance between the amount of energy that the body gets vs. the amount of energy that the body burns. Energy is very important to our survival, and the body is very efficient at storing extra energy for later, doing so by turning it into fat cells.
The imbalance between energy in and energy out can be caused by health conditions and is influenced by genetics. Lifestyle choices also play an important role, with foods that are high in calories often in the form of sugar, contributing to increased weight gain as the amount of energy the body gets increases.
Although only 25 grams of added sugar are recommended each day, the average American consumes about 68 grams of added sugar each day. Activity level is also an important factor, with higher levels of activity burning more energy, thereby decreasing weight, and lower levels of activity encouraging the body to store energy. If your exercise regimen doesn’t cover the added calories you consume, there is a potential for weight gain. Even if you are a workout enthusiast, underlying health issues (like insulin resistance) may make it more difficult for you to lose the weight you want to lose.
Why is Weight Loss Important?
Everyone who wants to lose weight has their own unique reason for doing so, but these reasons will normally fall into two categories: health or cosmetics.
Health
Excess weight is commonly recognized as a health risk, increasing the probability of many dangerous conditions occurring. The risk of these conditions is directly proportional to an individual’s weight, and even a small reduction in weight can lead to important, lasting health benefits. Metabolic syndrome, for instance, is usually accompanied by a larger waist circumference and a BMI that places an individual in the overweight or obese category. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of illnesses that can dramatically increase the potential for heart attack, stroke, and diabetes.
While there are many possible health problems that extra weight can cause, one of the biggest is heart problems. Increased weight can increase your blood pressure and cause plaque to build up in the arteries of your heart, increasing the risk of a heart attack and other heart problems. Another serious health condition caused by increased weight is type two diabetes. This condition can shorten your life and require lifelong treatment to manage correctly.
Cosmetic
While health risks are probably the biggest concern for most people, another potential concern with extra weight is the cosmetic implications. While our modern society is taking strides towards becoming more inclusive of everyone regardless of their body type, there is still a degree of social stigma associated with being overweight.
The social standard of the ideal body type and shape is normally at or below a normal, healthy weight. This can cause even those who have a weight that is ideal to want to lose weight and conform to social norms. The pressure to meet the expectations of society, right or not, has an influence on the weight that people choose to pursue.
It’s important to remember that even with a healthy diet, exercise, and a significant reduction in fat, the human body still needs to retain some fat. The appearance of cellulite and other areas prone to subcutaneous fat may never meet an unrealistic aesthetic expectation.
What is Red Light Therapy
When examining the potential of using red light therapy for weight loss, it is important to understand what it is, how it is used, and the research supporting it. Red light therapy involves irradiating the skin with specific wavelengths of red and near-infrared light. Red light uses long, low-energy wavelengths that allow it to penetrate deep into the body, through the skin, and into the tissues under the skin.
Technology of Red Light Therapy
While the idea that shining certain wavelengths of light on the skin can cause physical changes may initially seem farfetched to some, there are actually multiple, well-documented examples that are accepted by mainstream medical science.
Some of the examples of the impact that light has on how our body functions include:
- Vitamin D synthesis - Exposure to sunlight has been shown to stimulate the creation of vitamin D by skin cells. Research has shown that specific wavelengths of sunlight are associated with the effect on skin cells and that exposure to sunlight is one of the best ways to get vitamin D.
- Melanin production - We don’t think too much of the fact that fair-skinned individuals have a slightly darker skin tone after being out in the sun. However, this effect occurs because of the way sunlight interacts with skin cells. The ultraviolet light in sunlight directly interacts with skin cells, increasing the amount of melanin they produce and creating a darker shade of skin pigmentation
- Bilirubin breakdown - Ultraviolet light has been shown to break down a substance called bilirubin. While bilirubin levels do not affect most people, bilirubin can accumulate to dangerous levels in newborns, causing irreversible brain damage if not treated. The primary treatment for high bilirubin levels in newborns is phototherapy - exposure to specific wavelengths of ultraviolet light. This light breaks down bilirubin, lowering bilirubin to safe levels.
These well-established and accepted effects demonstrate that the fundamental assumptions supporting red light therapy are scientifically sound.
Uses of Red Light Therapy
Red light therapy has only been used on a wide-scale basis for about two decades, as prior to this period, LED lights that allowed the creation of specific wavelengths of light were not available as a cost-effective source. In the two decades that red light therapy has become more practical, it has gained more mainstream acceptance for multiple uses, including:
- Improving skin tone and color
- Promoting sleep quality
- Speeding wound healing
- Enhancing athletic performance
Research into other areas is ongoing, and new potential applications are continuing to emerge.
Does Red Light Therapy Help With Weight Loss and Management?
In recent years, there has been increased interest in potentially using red light therapy to lose weight. Research into this area is continuing to emerge with some initially promising results. However, there are no major conclusive studies yet, leading the ability to predict results in this area to still be uncertain.
There are several important, recent studies done in this area. A 2020 study found that using low-level laser therapy (a type of red light therapy) on 60 individuals for 6 weeks resulted in weight loss of over 2 pounds over the study period, as well as resulting in improved body satisfaction. While weight loss did occur, it was a small amount, and there was no control group in the study, making these results less impactful.
An earlier study conducted in 2013 took a different approach. This study applied red light in the form of low-level laser therapy to perform body contouring specifically to the waist, hips, and thighs. This study demonstrated an average circumference change of almost 3 inches on average to the areas where the therapy was applied. This study, however, also lacked a control group to compare results against.
A more rigorous study performed in 2012 used a double-blind, randomized, controlled study, one of the most solid forms of research possible. This study examined arm circumference, finding a decrease of over an inch after 3 weeks of red light therapy but not detecting any significant weight loss. This, however, would be somewhat to be expected when the only area of weight loss was an arm.
Yet another controlled study found that phototherapy doubled fat loss (11 vs. 6%), improved insulin sensitivity (40 vs. 22%), and helped conserve lean muscle mass in obese women. A 20-week 'Exercise for Weight Loss Trial' found significant benefit in augmenting exercise with Near Infrared (NIR) phototherapy (used immediately after the end of the exercise training session). Control subjects received "sham" treatment post-exercise. The results were promising and suggest that NIR light therapy may enhance the beneficial weight loss, body composition, and metabolic health benefits of exercise.
There have been multiple other studies performed, with most of them following a similar design and providing results that are about the same. While this replication of results is positive, there is yet to a be large-scale study that involves large groups of people on a scale that would lead to conclusive evidence.
Overview of Studies
One of the reasons that using red light therapy for weight loss is somewhat controversial is that the studies on the topic are limited. Many involve small numbers of people or do not have control groups that enable researchers to compare how people who received RLT did against a similar group of people who did not receive RLT. There are, however, some examples of controlled studies that have indicated some positive results.
The other factor to consider with most existing studies is that the best results were seen in more subtle changes that included focused application with the purpose of sculpting the body rather than creating a significant drop in weight. While red light therapy may be effective for weight loss, it may be better applied for helping people shape their bodies rather than lose several pounds.
Using Red Light Therapy
If you are interested in using red light therapy to achieve the benefits that many people report experiencing with it, then it is very important that you consider the source of the red light that you use. There are many important factors to consider when using red light therapy, including the power of your light source, the actual wavelengths of light it provides, how steady the light is, and many other factors that could impact how effective this therapy is for you.
Mito Red Light provides a variety of red light products that are specifically designed to provide high-quality, dependable red light therapy. We welcome you to review our selection of high-quality products or to contact one of our expert representatives at +1 866-861-6486.
Click to learn more about potential red light therapy benefits.
To learn more basics about red light therapy, read How Does Red Light Therapy Work?
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DISCLAIMER: Mito Red Light devices are Class II wellness devices aimed at affecting the body through topical heating and supporting cellular function. The information provided in this article and on this site is for educational purposes only and is not intended to imply effectiveness of Mito Red Light devices for any specific application. The information provided in this article and on this site is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, is not a substitute for consultation with a licensed medical provider and should not be construed as medical advice. Click here to read our article on potential contraindications of red light therapy..
