If you have diabetes and are wondering if there are natural and safe ways to manage this debilitating disease, then this article will show you how red light therapy for diabetes can help you regulate blood sugar levels and treat the symptoms and some of the causes of diabetes. What Is Red Light Therapy? Red light therapy is a natural treatment that uses specific wavelengths of visible and invisible light to stimulate healthy biological processes in the body. The treatment may use red light in the visible range of 620-660 nanometers; invisible near infrared (NIR) light in the 810-850 nm range, or, for the best results, a combination of red and NIR wavelengths. How Does It Work? Red light therapy boosts the metabolism of your cells which has a ripple effect of benefits including better cellular functioning and overall healthier cells. Each cell contains mitochondria, which are tiny organelles that use glucose and oxygen to produce a cellular fuel called ATP (adenosine triphosphate). Researchers have discovered a direct link between mitochondrial dysfunction - or their ability to produce ATP - and many major diseases, including diabetes. ATP production decreases with age; but in the case of diabetes, it is both a contributing cause and a symptom of the disease: a vicious cycle where cellular decline makes it difficult to improve health. Does Red Light Therapy Treat Diabetes? Red light therapy can help treat diabetes in several ways. First, the treatment lowers blood glucose levels after a 15-minute session. We will go into this in detail in the next section. Red light therapy can help treat diabetes by reducing systemic inflammation. Inflammation is another known cause or contributor to major diseases and can prevent healing. Red light therapy also improves gut health, which can help in both the treatment and possibly the prevention of Type 2 diabetes. Relieving Symptoms of Diabetes Daily red light therapy sessions can help relieve symptoms of diabetes, including the following conditions. Wound Healing Slow-healing wounds such as diabetic foot ulcers are one of the most common symptoms of diabetes. Red light therapy promotes faster healing of skin wounds by reducing inflammation, stimulating collagen synthesis, and increasing blood circulation. Blood Glucose Levels Red light therapy causes the mitochondria to produce more ATP. Researchers at the University of London found that this directly reduces blood glucose levels by diverting glucose from the blood, where an excess causes problems, to the cells, where it is used for energy. This process is somewhat like photosynthesis in plants, except it takes place in the human body. Boosting ATP production requires more glucose. Instead of this glucose remaining in the bloodstream, it is used as intended. In the London study referenced above, volunteers were exposed to 670nm red light for 15 minutes. Two hours later, blood glucose levels dropped by 27.7%. The treatment also reduced glucose spikes (tested after consuming glucose) by 7.5%. The researchers also stated that single red-light exposures were effective in reducing blood glucose levels within several hours; but they maintained their effect for nearly a week. Frequent blood sugar spikes can cause long-term damage to the body. A daily red light therapy treatment could help maintain steady blood sugar levels throughout the day. Blood Circulation High blood glucose levels cause blood vessels to narrow and become clogged with fatty deposits. It also causes inflammation in the blood vessels, which also reduces blood flow. Red light therapy acts as a vasodilator to expand blood vessels and improve blood circulation throughout the body. This is important news since thousands of diabetics lose their limbs to amputation every year. Nerve Health Many diabetics lose sensation in their feet - and this was once considered inevitable and irreversible. NIR light can reduce neuropathic pain, reduce the inflammation that interferes with nerve signaling, and promote regrowth of damaged nerve cells. Liver Support Chronically high blood glucose levels will eventually damage the liver. A damaged liver cannot efficiently eliminate waste from the body. Red light therapy supports liver regeneration by reducing oxidative stress in the liver. Treating The Underlying Causes of Diabetes Although Type 2 diabetes is often called a “lifestyle disease” it can have many causes not related to diet, exercise, alcohol use, or obesity. Red light therapy can’t help with lifestyle, but it can be used to help reduce weight, improve blood circulation, reduce inflammation, and even treat some of the underlying causes of Type 2 diabetes. Weight Loss Although there is no substitute for healthy eating and exercise, red light can help support weight loss. Red and NIR light actually cause temporary perforations in fat cells which cause lipids (fat) to leak into the body cavity, where the body eliminates them. Reduced Inflammation Red light therapy reduces systemic inflammation which is the underlying cause or at least a major contributing factor for many pre-diabetic disorders. Inflammation can cause or worsen pre-diabetic disorders including polycystic ovary syndrome (POS), hypertriglyceridemia, damage to the pancreas, insulin resistance, prediabetes, and premature aging. Red light therapy reduces inflammation. In an animal study exploring the connection between obesity and Type 2 diabetes, researchers found that exposing obese/hyperglycemic mice to six NIR therapy sessions significantly lowered blood glucose levels 24 hours after treatment, and showed 5x less abdominal inflammation than the control group. Improved Gut Health As ancient physician Hippocrates said, “All disease begins in the gut.” It is now known that an unbalanced, unhealthy gut microbiome (dysbiosis) has been linked to Type 2 diabetes. Restoring a healthy gut microbiome is a first key step to treating any disease. In fact, red light therapy has been used to improve neurological disorders that are related to dysbiosis, including Alzheimer’s Disease. Red light therapy has been used to improve gut health by reducing inflammation, stimulating cellular metabolism, increasing blood flow to the gut, and modulating the composition of the microbiota by increasing vitamin D levels to strike a healthy balance between the different types of gut bacteria. Researchers also found that natural sunlight modulates the gut microbiome. However, sunlight exposure comes with a danger of excessive UVA/UVB exposure. Red and NIR wavelengths are part of natural sunlight, but a red light treatment doesn’t contain any UVA/UVB wavelengths. BIOMAX Series for Optimal Treatment Incorporating red light therapy as part of your diabetes treatment is as simple as a 15-minute daily session. Many people like to do red light therapy immediately after a shower since the treatment must be applied to clean, bare skin. Use a large red light therapy panel such as the BIOMAX 600 or BIOMAX 900 to make the treatment more effective. These panels are more powerful than smaller panels. More light energy output will ensure that the maximum amount of light actually reaches the organs in your gut. But power isn’t everything! The BIOMAX series features two red wavelengths, three NIR wavelengths, as well as trace amounts of blue and infrared wavelengths. This ensures the most comprehensive treatment options, from skin concerns to conditions deep in the body, including gut health and diabetes. A large panel gives you the opportunity to treat the entire abdominal area along with treating knee pain, diabetic neuropathy, chronic pain, and blood circulation in a single session. Given the incredibly broad range of applications for red light therapy, it makes sense to get the most powerful LED light therapy devices and maximize your treatment options.
