You know that feeling you get when the sun starts shining and everything just feels better? No, you’re not imagining it – that’s the power of natural light!
Sunshine is one of the most natural forms of light and it has been proven to be beneficial for both your mental and physical health.
But how does it compare to the relatively new phenomenon of red light therapy?
Before we get into what makes the two different types of light so different from each other, let’s take a look at exactly what they are, and how they impact your body.
The Effects Of Natural Light On Your Health
As we touched on in the initial paragraph of this article, sunlight provides a wealth of health benefits for the body and brain alike.
Just take a look at some of these perks:
- Sunlight helps to regulate your body’s circadian rhythm – this is when your mind wants to go to sleep and your body wants its daily dose of sunshine. This cycle affects almost every aspect of your health, from your mood to your energy levels to how well you’re able to function throughout the day.
- Sunlight can also help to improve your mood – in fact, research has shown that people who live in areas where there is a lot of sunshine tend to have happier and more fulfilling lives than those who don’t. This is especially the case for those living in northern countries where winters are long and dark, and it can sometimes be difficult to maintain a positive outlook during this time of the year.
- Sunlight can help to boost serotonin levels in the brain which can reduce feelings of depression. In fact, research suggests that exposure to sunlight may help to reduce seasonal affective disorder (or SAD) symptoms, which affects up to 20% of the population!
- Sunlight also helps replenish the body’s Vitamin D stores, which helps to keep your bones strong and to promote strong and healthy muscles.
Researchers have even concluded that low levels of sun exposure are as dangerous to human health as smoking cigarettes!
In a Swedish study, nearly 30,000 women were studied over 20 years and they found that women with the lowest sun exposure had a twice as high death rate as those with the highest sun exposure. [1]
But unfortunately, there are some downsides to sun exposure as well…
Firstly, UV radiation in sunlight can cause your skin to become damaged over time, which can lead to the development of wrinkles, age spots, and hyperpigmentation.
If you spend a lot of time in the sun without covering up with sunscreen, you may be increasing your risk of developing skin cancer later in life.
Secondly, most people are unable to spend enough time outside during the day to get the full health benefits of sun exposure.
We are often stuck in offices or inside all day, which is no way to achieve optimal health! This is especially true during the winter months when the sun is hiding away behind clouds for most of the day, and the days are significantly shorter.
Not only that, but when it does decide to make an appearance, it’s not as strong, which can prevent you from getting enough vitamin D to keep you feeling your best.
In cities where air pollution is a problem, it can be hard to get enough clean air even when you are outside, which is why it is often recommended that you spend some time in nature regularly in order to recharge your batteries and regain some balance in your life.
Another form of natural light is red and infrared light! These spectrums of natural light offer the same benefits as sunlight without any harmful UV rays…
But what effects do they have on our bodies?
Red Light Therapy: How Does It Affect The Body?
Red light therapy is a form of light therapy that involves exposing your body to small amounts of infrared and red light wavelengths on a regular basis in order to improve your overall health and treat certain health problems.
We’ve recently published an article on LED Vs. Laser: Red Light Therapy For Pain Relief that goes into more detail about how red light therapy works and why it can be so effective for some people.
But in a nutshell, the light therapy devices on the market work by emitting red light waves at a very specific wavelength. This gives you an extremely targeted dose that is absorbed directly by the cells in your body to produce several positive health effects.
These positive health benefits include:
- Increased circulation – This can help boost your energy levels and improve the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to your cells. [2]
- Decreased healing time – Studies have shown that infrared light can improve the body’s natural healing process leading to a faster recovery. [2]
- Reduced inflammation – Infrared light penetrates deep into your tissues and helps to prevent excessive inflammation and swelling caused by a number of different conditions. [3]
- Enhanced immune system – During red light therapy, the body releases nitric oxide, which is vital for keeping the immune system healthy. [4]
Many different studies have looked into the effects that red light therapy can have on the body and the results have been very encouraging so far.
But since the technology is still relatively new, many more studies are likely to be conducted in the future.
And the best part of red light therapy?
It doesn’t involve any invasive or potentially harmful treatments, it’s a safe way to treat a wide variety of health issues without the harmful side effects often associated with other treatments!
Red Light Therapy vs Natural Sunlight: Which Is Better?
One of the biggest questions people ask when considering red light therapy is: “Is it better than natural sunlight?” The truth is that they both have a number of benefits and they definitely have their place.
However, it’s important to understand that the two therapies are very different in terms of how they work and how effective they are at treating certain conditions.
For example, if you’re expecting to sunbathe for a few hours, expecting it to help ease your joint pain, you’re probably in for a bit of a disappointment…
This is because while natural sunlight does have its benefits, including improving your mental and physical health, it doesn’t offer the same level of therapeutic benefits that a red light therapy session can provide.
Additionally, it can be difficult to get consistent exposure if you live in a climate with cold and dark winters with limited access to the sun during those months.
In contrast, red light therapy is an affordable and accessible treatment that anyone can use at any time of day, regardless of whether the sun is out or not!
Thankfully, it’s easier than ever to get the targeted treatment you need from the comfort of your own home using an at-home red light therapy device.
