Improve your sight
In today’s blog we are going to explain how to use Red Light Therapy for Eye Health.
- The Retina
- RLT and the Eye
- Study on RLT for Eye Health
- Conclusion
The Retina
The retina is the innermost, light-sensitive layer of tissue of the eye of most vertebrates and some molluscs. The optics of the eye create a focused two-dimensional image of the visual world on the retina, which translates that image into electrical neural impulses to the brain to create visual perception.
Put in other words, the retina serves a function analogous to that of the film or image sensor in a camera.
When it comes to organs in the human body, the retina in particular, ages faster than any other organ with a 70% ATP (cellular energy), reduction in the mitochondria of the cell over life and a significant decline of its function.
RLT and Eye Health
If you are not familiar with the terms Mitochondria (cellular power generator) and ATP (cellular energy), here’s a brief explanation of how Red Light Therapy increases the production of energy in the cell.
Mitochondria are cell organelles present in all animal cells.
Their function is to generate most of the chemical energy, which is needed to power the cell’s biochemical reactions.
Inside Mitochondria there is a molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
Red Light Therapy affects the mitochondria of your cells and boosts ATP production, which promotes energy and restoration within the cell. What does this mean?
DAMAGED cells accept nutrients faster and therefore recover quicker.
DAMAGED cells eliminate toxins faster, reducing inflammation.
What Red light therapy basically does is to increase the energy produced in your cells to naturally recover, that’s why it is so beneficial for the retina.
The health of the mitochondria of your cells significantly influence the pace of aging, that’s why boosting the energy of those organelles with RLT will translate into a healthier and younger retina.
Study on RLT for Eye Health
The 29th of June 2020, a study published in Journals of Gerontology concluded that:
“Looking into a deep red light for 3 minutes each day may significantly improve declining eyesight”.
To test whether brief daily exposure to 670 nm can improve aged human retinal function, the researchers conducted a study with 24 healthy subjects, ranging in age from 28 to 72 years. Older patients were classified as such if they were older than 38 years. The cohort was divided into groups where participants underwent different tests to measure rod (scotopic) thresholds and color contrast sensitivity (CCS).
The CCS group consisted of 6 younger (5 female) and 6 older (4 female) subjects while the scotopic threshold group included 6 younger (4 female) and 6 older (4 female) participants. For 2 weeks, participants used 670-nm light devices to illuminate their dominant eye every morning for 3 minutes.
Our Target Light 670 has exactly that same wavelength of light.
Results:
- Researchers found the 670nm light had no impact on younger individuals, but in those around 40 years and over, significant improvements were obtained.
- Cone colour contrast sensitivity (the ability to detect colours) improved by up to 20% in some people aged around 40 and over. Improvements were more significant in the blue part of the colour spectrum that is more vulnerable in ageing.
- Rod sensitivity (the ability to see in low light) also improved significantly in those aged around 40 and over, though less than colour contrast.
Professor Jeffery said: “Our study shows that it is possible to significantly improve vision that has declined in aged individuals using simple brief exposures to light wavelengths that recharge the energy system that has declined in the retina cells, rather like recharging a battery.
“The technology is simple and very safe, using a deep red light of a specific wavelength, that is absorbed by mitochondria in the retina that supply energy for cellular function,” said Glen Jeffery, PhD, an author of the study.
Conclusion
To conclude, RLT is showing great potential to improve eye health and reverse the consequences of retina deterioration in people over 38 years old.
With as little as 3 minutes a day, you can also experience the benefits that all the subjects of the study experienced.
Get your Target light 670 and try it out yourself!