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Source: RED LIGHT THERAPY, MIRACLE MEDICINE - SECOND EDITION by MARK SLOAN 2018 EndAllDisease Publishing
Nootropics (pronounced: no-oh-troh-picks), also called smart drugs or cognitive enhancers, have undergone a dramatic spike in popularity in recent years and are being used by many people to enhance brain functions such as memory, creativity and motivation.
The positive effects of red light on brain function are significant and well established scientifically. In fact, light in the red and near-infrared spectrums could very well be the most powerful nootropics ever discovered. Let's look at some evidence:
Researchers from the University of Texas applied near-infrared laser light to the foreheads of healthy volunteers and measured its effects on cognitive parameters, including attention, memory and mood in 2013. The treated group experienced improvements in reaction time, memory and an increase in positive emotional states for the two-week follow-up period after treatment. “These data simply that transcranial laser stimulation could be used as a non-invasive and efficacious approach to increase brain functions such as those related to cognitive and emotional dimensions, ” wrote scientists.
Another study investigated the effects of near-infrared laser light on the brain both individually and in combination with aerobic exercise. Compared to the control group, which didn't receive the light or the exercise, the American researchers concluded that phototherapy had brain-boosting effects similar to the exercise.18
Recent studies have now found that photobiomodulation may significantly slow the progression of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
Johnstone, D. et. al. (2015). Turning On Lights to Stop Neurodegeneration: The Potential of Near Infrared Light Therapy in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 9: 500. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4707222/?_ga=2.179898276.1003104835.1773598713-391080385.1773598713
Fannie Darlot, Ph.D., et al. (2015) Near-infrared light is neuroprotective in a monkey model of Parkinson disease. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ana.24542
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Red light has also been shown to help with certain types of hair loss. Red light has proven to help both women and men with various conditions to regrow hair and even thicken the diameter of individual hair strands. Near-infrared and red light therapy has proven to help women with alopecia to significantly regrow and thicken hair.
2006 systematic review: “There is strong evidence that LLLT [low-level laser therapy] modulates the inflammatory process and relieves acute pain in the short-term.”30
2009 systematic review published in The Lancet: “We show that LLLT reduces pain immediately after treatment in acute neck pain and up to 22 weeks after completion of treatment in patients with chronic neck pain.”31
2014 review: “[red and near-infrared] Laser causes pain relief without any side effects.”32
