How Red Light Therapy Affects Your Gut Health

When we think of gut health, we think probiotics. But that’s not all there is to gut health, though. According to a  2021 Grand View Research on the global probiotics market, the global probiotics market size was at USD 48.38 billion in 2018. The estimated growth rate of this market was 6.9% during the forecast period at that point.

Each day, the number of consumers eager to invest in preventive healthcare is growing. Many of them reach for probiotics as a way to positively affect the gut microbiota and optimize their health.

Since awareness around the importance of gut health and healthy intestinal flora is growing daily, probiotics will take a top place in the preventive healthcare system since they are likely to prevent various immune system diseases. 

However, probiotics are far from being the only available tool for improving gut health. Red and near-infrared therapy can be just as effective and an even more interesting alternative. Let’s start with covering the basics and then diving deeper into the hows and whys.

Why Is Gut Health so Important?

A complex community of bacteria inhabits our gastrointestinal system. They fall into three teams:

1. “Good” bacteria maintain the overall wellbeing of your gut. They have a role in anti-aging, proper digestion, healthy absorption of nutrients, and our body’s immunity.

2. “Bad” bacteria can have adverse effects on the whole body. They inhibit everyone’s gut and have the power to trigger various diseases and accelerate aging.

3. “Opportunistic” bacteria can be somewhat double-minded. They will cause no trouble when the body is healthy, but they can negatively affect gut health once the body’s immunity is out of balance.

This community of bacteria is changing daily by working hard to ensure healthy digestion, absorption of all nutrients, and even daily detox.

An unhealthy microbiome weakens the immune system and can even be a reason for developing cognitive diseases. One of the most unexpected things to learn about keeping your gut healthy is that the gastrointestinal system affects mood changes and even the way our brain works.

How Does Red Light Therapy Help Gut Health?

Red light therapy offers the gut microbiota all the energy it needs to function properly and stay in balance. It is quite possible that this happens because red and near-infrared light are a part of a healing spectrum of sunlight.

Sunlight is essential for all living beings. Sun exposure has many health benefits. We have evolved in an outdoor environment, and that’s why we are naturally drawn to energy from the sun – its light and warmth.

Red light therapy (RLT) uses light at specific frequencies, irradiance, and energy density to supply the body with the energy it needs to heal itself and perform better.

Red light works by restoring the energy to mitochondria, the cell organelles, by boosting mitochondrial health. Proteins within mitochondrial membranes act as light receptors, and during the exposure to red and near-infrared light, receptors will absorb the energy and increase the energy levels on the whole. 

Besides generating energy, they are responsible for signaling, cellular differentiation, regulation of the cell cycle, and cell growth.

Gut health and healthy microbiome depend on factors – lifestyle, stress, and nutrition being some of them. We can affect our well-being by eating more fiber and less sugar, taking probiotics, having a lot of quality sleep, and making time for red light therapy. 

There are numerous benefits to your gut from red light therapy:

It Boosts the Number of Good Bacteria

A recent study showed that red light therapy would increase the bacteria associated with a healthy gut, while the proportion of bacteria associated with an unhealthy gut decreases.

“The gut microbiome contains somewhere over 1014 bacteria, representing over 1000 species (upward of 6000 strains) and contributing 150 times the genetic material of our genome” Qin J, Li R, Raes J.

It Reduces he Number of Ulcer-Inducing Bacteria in Gut Biome

Helicobacter pylori is a type of bacteria that inhabits the human digestive tract. Not treating H. pylori can cause sores (also called ulcers) in the lining of the stomach or the upper part of the small intestine. Phototherapy with different wavelengths, including red light therapy, can help reduce H. pylori bacteria, especially in patients who previously had standard antibiotic treatment that didn’t help.

 It Establishes Better Circadian Rhythm

Circadian rhythm is a 24-hour pattern of your body’s behavior. This includes cells, organs, hormones, and even systems of organs. This rhythm has a role in aligning biological functions as a regular, predictable pattern in accordance with day and night. Disruption of the circadian rhythm can result in metabolic syndrome, cancer, or cardiovascular disease.

Melatonin plays one of the crucial functions in maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm. Its job is to mediate dark signals and ensure healthy sleep. Without healthy sleep, there is always a disruption in all regular biological processes. Red light therapy can boost melatonin production and make sure it’s always there when your body needs it.

Disruptions in sleep patterns cause severe imbalances in your gut flora. That is why this function of red light therapy has an indirect influence on your gut flora.

It Stimulates the Production of Serotonin in the Gut

Serotonin is a crucial hormone for stabilizing mood, feelings, and overall mental well-being. This hormone impacts the entire body because it enables all cells in the nervous system to communicate successfully.

The amino acid called tryptophan produces serotonin. This amino acid enters the body through the diet. Poor diet results in a tryptophan deficiency that leads to lower serotonin levels, which can cause mood disorders.

Prescription drugs can stimulate serotonin, but it’s possible to naturally boost it with more exposure to bright light (sunshine or red light therapy), regular exercise, a healthy diet, and meditation.

Serotonin also regulates bacterial growth. But, higher serotonin levels in the gut mucosal present as colitogenic microbiota, resulting in increased severity of colitis, and the serotonin-microbiota axis has an important role in preventing gut inflammation.

How to Use Red Light Therapy for Gut Health?

Wavelength is probably the essential thing to consider starting with red light therapy. Healing effects range from 600 to 1020nm, but the range that gives the best result is between 625 and 635nm. That’s the red spectrum of the FlexBeam.

The best effect of red light therapy occurs when red light therapy is applied regularly, correctly, and with outstanding quality devices. Always make sure to check the prescribed or advised dosage, frequency, and irradiation.

All these factors for a good red light therapy at home are pre-calculated and pre-set for you with FlexBeam. You can have a controlled, targeted, and powerful red light therapy session that doesn’t even disrupt your day. 

FlexBeam is easy to use and light to wear. You just strap it directly to your body and continue to go about your day. While you relax, cook, work, or even meditate, it delivers targeted red light therapy right where you need it.