How LED Lighting Can Positively Impact Your Health

What if I told you that your post lunch coffee was no longer necessary AND you could maintain your youth by simply shining a light on your face? Crazy, right? Well this idea may not be so far fetched anymore.  Here’s why: LEDs were once thought to be just a more expensive version of traditional light.  Now they are a technology responsible for mood, productivity, and general health.  This means we can all be awake and wrinkle free forever!  Well maybe not forever, but LED lighting is taking the design world by storm.  It has established itself not only as the standard for most renovations and new builds but as well as a therapeutic technology with several health benefits.

Blue Light Therapy

So let’s talk blue light first. Last week a friend of mine convinced me to try out a new gym. The first thing I noticed walking into the gym was the extremely (for lack of a better word) tacky blue light that was surrounding the entire weight area.  Let me tell you, this is a total nightmare for an interior decorator.  Completely distracted by this flaw, cutting my work out short seemed especially tempting. However, in that moment it dawned on me; there was probably more purpose to the blue light than strictly aesthetics.  This is where my knowledge of light therapy kicked in. Blue LED lighting has been proven to be tremendously effective in the work place for increasing productivity among employees.  Maybe the management at the gym was trying to utilize it in a similar fashion to help energize clients for their workouts.  Blue Light Therapy has shown to improve mood and energy levels for its recipients. Essentially, blue light has the ability to suppress the photo receptors that produce melatonin.  Melatonin is the hormone that is responsible for controlling your circadian rhythm.  This means excess amounts of melatonin will cause your body to feel sleepy.  In the same respect, blue light’s capacity to interfere with the production of melatonin will allow you to feel energized. It is no wonder using blue light therapy more often is becoming more popular in different industries today.  This technology might just be the appropriate substitute for your afternoon coffee or in this case your new favorite pre-workout.

Red Light Therapy

Next up is red light. Red Light Therapy has an endless amount of perks. “You should try Red Light Therapy” is becoming a common phrase in daily conversations.  If you have a problem, trying Red Light Therapy could be your solution.  Weight loss, chronic pain relief and skin rejuvenation are just some of the benefits of Red Light Therapy.  Even tanning salons now have red light beds that reverse skin damage from tanning.  How ironic is that? If you are like me, you are probably wondering how this magical light that claims to have a plethora of health benefits really works? Well it really is as simple as it sounds.

Red light is capable of penetrating your skin by a depth of approximately 8-10 mm.  The absorption of the wavelength kick starts the conversion from wavelength into cellular energy.  This encourages the production of new cells and collagen. Having amazing effects on the skin, hair and the body in general.  Red light therapy also helps with chronic pain management.  This is done by stimulating mitochondrial function.  Claims made by users of red light therapy show that where nothing else works, red light therapy has.  It is becoming a frequently used tool in the complete healing of the entire body.

Essentially, LED technology has allowed us to cover all our bases. This means limiting coffee intake and eliminating the need for invasive procedures.  Furthermore, reducing chronic pain and increasing productivity is obtainable all thanks to this light.  The most amazing thing about all of this is that LEDs are such a new development.  Their growth in the industry so far shows an abundance of potential for the future.  With so many possibilities, it is exciting to see where this amazing technology can take us and how it will benefit future generations.

Photos courtesy of: Medical Daily (www.medicaldaily.com) and Red Light Therapy (www.redlighttherapy.lighttherapyoptions.com)