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Does Red Light Therapy Work for Weight Loss?
Red Light Therapy.Co
June 30, 2023
What is Red Light Therapy for Weight Loss?
How much would you pay for a pill that could help you increase fat loss, fight depression and anxiety, and had powerful anti-aging effects on your skin… with no side-effects?
Chances are, a lot.
Millions of doctors would tell their patients to start taking it. Doctors would call it a “miracle drug.”
Too bad such a pill doesn’t exist. Or does it, just in a different form? It’s not a pill, it’s light. Red and near-infrared light.
And it's not anecdotal evidence, either. There've been over 7,000 peer-reviewed studies on the effectiveness of red light therapy for weight loss. For example, this comprehensive review from Harvard.
In this article, we'll review how red light therapy works to promote weight loss. We'll also share links to the scientific studies we've found about its effectiveness.
How Does Red Light Therapy Work for Weight Loss?
First, let's take a look at the science behind red light therapy for weight loss.
There are four primary ways it supports burning fat and creating a more youthful appearance:
Increasing Metabolism and Fat Burning
Enhancing Collagen Production
Improving Insulin Resistance
Increasing Blood Flow and Oxygenation
We'll review each one below.
Increasing Metabolism and Fat Burning
Red light therapy naturally increases metabolism and your body's ability to burn fat. Studies have shown it can reduce the size of fat cells and enhance metabolic activity. It was particularly effective for overweight participants when paired with an exercise routine.
But, how does it work? Well, the wavelengths of light used trigger the release of fatty acids from fat cells. Specifically, red and near-infrared wavelengths stimulate the release of fatty acids from adipocytes, which are cells that store fat.
During red light therapy, the mitochondria within cells are stimulated, increasing mitochondrial function and ATP production. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is a molecule that transports energy within cells. It's essential for many cellular processes, including fat burning. So, red light therapy leads to increased fat burning because it stimulates ATP production.
Red light therapy can also reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the body. Inflammation can impair metabolism and contribute to weight gain. Reducing oxidative stress helps make your body function at a higher level and enhance it's ability to burn fat.
Enhancing Collagen Production
Collagen is a crucial protein in the body. It plays a vital role in maintaining healthy skin, joints, muscles, and bones. For those looking to lose weight, collagen is also an essential factor. It helps keep skin firm which reduces wrinkles and visible cellulite.
Red light therapy can stimulate collagen production through increased fibroblast development. Fibroblasts are the cells responsible for producing collagen.
These cells are extremely responsive to light. In particular, red light. This means it's effortless to get firmer skin and that "red carpet glow" using nothing but red light.
Not only that, red light therapy can reduce the appearance of cellulite. This makes it an excellent supplementary treatment on your weight loss journey.
Improving Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance is when cells become less responsive to insulin. Insulin is a hormone that removes glucose from the blood. Insulin resistance means the body needs to produce more insulin to maintain normal blood sugar levels. This creates high insulin levels that contribute to weight gain and obesity.
Those extra pounds put you at significant risk for insulin resistance, and vice versa. This vicious cycle can lead to type 2 diabetes, a chronic condition with high blood sugar levels.
Evidence suggests red light therapy can improve insulin sensitivity and help prevent diabetes.
In a study published in the Journal of Diabetes Research, overweight participants received red light therapy for 12 weeks. They showed significant improvements in insulin resistance. Especially compared to those who received placebo treatments.
There was another study published in the International Journal of Endocrinology. It found that red light therapy improved glucose control. It also reduced insulin resistance in obese participants.
These results suggest that red light therapy may be a valuable tool in weight loss efforts. Improving insulin resistance can lead to better blood sugar control. This reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Additionally, regulating insulin levels can reduce cravings for sugary and high-carbohydrate foods. The #1 contributors to weight gain.
Increasing Blood Flow and Oxygenation
Red light therapy also increases blood flow and oxygenation to a targeted area. This is key in helping you lose weight. It's particularly helpful for targeting "stubborn fat" around the belly, hips, and thighs. Here's how it works.
Red light has a vasodilatory effect. That means the blood vessels widen so more blood can flow. This enhanced blood flow helps your body remove and process fat cells.
The vasodilatory effect of red light wavelengths can also improve your energy levels. More energy means it's more likely you'll work out rather than sit on the couch with Netflix and Cheetos.
It works because nitric oxide molecules build up in your body over time. These molecules inhibit the production of your body's primary energy source: ATP (adenosine triphosphate). When your body has more blood flowing through it, it can process and remove these waste molecules faster. This gives you more energy.
By providing essential nutrients like glucose and oxygen, which cells use to burn off fat for energy, red light therapy can help to promote weight loss. This is especially true when combined with healthy lifestyle choices like a balanced diet and regular exercise.
Best At-Home Red Light Therapy Devices for Weight Loss
There are several devices we recommend for at-home weight loss using red light therapy. These are just a few to get you started.
Mito Pro 300 Best Entry-Level Red Light Therapy Panel
Panels are great for at-home treatments because you can direct the light to the exact spot you want. The Mito Pro 300 is the perfect entry-level red light panel for weight loss.
Simply unbox the panel, plug it in, and turn it on to start shedding pounds. We recommend doing at least three, twenty minute sessions a week for six weeks to start to see results.
The drawback to a panel is you have to sit in front of it and can’t move around. If you want to stay mobile, check out the Red Light Therapy Belt below.
For a limited time offering a discount code to our readers, use code RLT at checkout for your discount.
Mito Red Light Advanced Red Light Therapy Belt
Perfect for targeting a specific area like the stomach or thighs for weight loss. At only 1.5 pounds, this belt makes it easy for you to be up and about while using the device.
Beware the low quality belts and wraps that use less than half the amount of LEDs and space them out quite a bit. This belt contains a whopping 1,215 LED chips total!
It’s meant to be used right up on the skin. That means having a large number LEDs close together is critical for maximum weight loss.
For a limited time offering a discount code to our readers, use code RLT at checkout for your discount.
The HGPRO4500 is a high-powered, truly full body red and near infrared light therapy device for powerful at-home weight loss results.
Using its full-body setup, it’s easy to treat your entire body at once so you can spend less time during each session.
Full body red light therapy activates all the results from red light therapy rather than targeting one specific area. You’ll likely notice more energy, faster recovery from workouts, wounds heal faster, and hair regrowth in addition to weight loss.
For a limited time offering a discount code to our readers, use code RLTCO at checkout for your discount.
