We have lots of things to deal with as mamas. Pregnancy, nursing, sleep deprivation, eating on the run — not to mention Coronavirus or other toxins in our environment! I am always looking for ways to improve my health with simple, evidence-based, and natural strategies.

One new addition to my wellness toolbox is the Joovv light. I’m loving this device and here’s why…

We Are Beings of Light

How often have you heard that humans are beings of light? It’s often discussed casually in regards to spirituality or transcendence, but the reality is that our bodies contains light — yes, really!

According to a 2017 study published in the International Journal of Yoga, your body contains two sources of energy: bioelectrons and biophotons.  Biophotons are light particles created within your body! In other words, you don’t just contain light — your body creates light particles.

Jellyfish Slowly Swimming Underwater With Pink bioluminescence Light

No, this doesn’t mean you’ll be glowing any time soon — the light energy is 1000x weaker than what your naked eye can detect — but it is a really fascinating topic to explore. Why do you need to make light particles anyway? According to an article published in the MIT Technology Review, your cells use this light energy to talk to each other, similar to how photons are used during photosynthesis.

Biophoton emissions (the process of your body creating and emitting light particles) is much, much weaker than the bioluminescence you might seen in a marine animal or jelly fish, but these light particles still serve an important purpose, even if you can’t see them.

Biophotons play a role in how your cells communicate and how they grow, divide, replicate, and heal.

Not only are we beings of light, but we also need light to thrive. Our bodies were designed to soak up the sunshine. For example, our optic nerve sets our circadian rhythm by light, and a well-tuned circadian rhythm affects your mind, body, and soul.

That’s where the Joovv Light comes in.

Joovv light products Go 2, Mini 3, Solo 3

What Is the Joovv Light

Red light therapy is designed to promote better health by delivering a dose of light that can enhance your  cellular function. Here’s how it works:

  • Red and near infrared light (red and near infrared being specific, proven wavelengths of light) helps the powerhouses (mitochondria) of your cells do their jobs more efficiently.
  • Your mitochondria make energy that powers your whole body, and when they’re working at full capacity, with less oxidative stress, you’re likely to look and feel better.

That’s the reader’s digest version, of course. Wavelengths of light can be a super complex topic, but here’s the main takeaway: we need light for our body to function optimally, and light therapy can help fill those gaps when we can’t get enough sunlight from our environment everyday (due to weather, seasons, or just not getting outside enough every day).

Enter  light therapy… light is simply wavelengths of energy, and there are some awesome light devices on the market. My favorite is Joovv.

Here are 10 reasons to consider the Joovv light:

1. We spend a lot of time indoors.

Studies that show just how much time we spend inside… which is not how we are biologically designed. Think about it from an ancestral viewpoint: we used to be outdoors for most of the day. Farming, hunting, gathering berries or fruit, harvesting grains, tending to the livestock — all of these things took place outdoors.

Even in the chilly climates, life didn’t stop. The Norwegian say, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes.”

Over 50% of the American population spends less than 5 hours outside — each week! Yikes! To put it another way, most Americans spend only 7.6% of their time outside, which is only a smidge more than the time they spend driving in their car (5%). That means most people simply do not get enough light for optimal health and cellular function.

Light therapy devices like Joovv may help offset this imbalance by providing healthy light in your home, no matter the weather. Joovv isn’t a replacement for sunlight (you should always get outside!), but it can fill the gaps and help supplement your light intake when getting out in the sun isn’t possible.

2. Red light boosts our ENERGY!

Not only does red light help mitigate the effects of spending so much time inside, but red light also boosts your energy levels. Remember, what we said about red light therapy and how it affects mitochondria? Well, you can thank your mitochondria for this energy burst.

Wavelengths of natural light stimulate your mitochondria. As “the powerhouse of the cell,” the mitochondria produce more  energy. This energy is known as ATP (adenosine triphosphate), and it’s produced during the cellular respiration process. ATP energy fuels everything our bodies do. When your body has ample ATP and uses it efficiently, you feel good, you look good, and you don’t feel zapped of energy.

3. Red light is excellent for our hormonal systems.

Remember that the mitochondria are improved by red light therapy and they help increase ATP, the “life currency” of our body. With this in mind, it makes sense that red light therapy can promote hormonal health, including your thyroid, adrenal glands, and reproductive organs. In studies, thyroid and testosterone production improved with red light.

Japanese researchers also studied the effect of red light therapy on women who struggled with infertility. The study followed women with “severe infertility”, many of whom did not have success with IVF. About 68% of these women were able to successfully deliver a baby. (source)

electromagnetic spectrum diagram showing Red light has a wavelength of 600–700 nm, and it visible light

4. Red light has proven anti-inflammatory effects.

Red light has a wavelength of 600–700 nm, and it falls under the “visible light” on the electromagnetic spectrum. Studies show that light in this range can penetrate the skin more easily, especially when compared to blue light (source). Thanks to its penetrability, red light therapy can also help reduce inflammation in the body.

Dr. Michael Hamblin of Harvard Medical School is a leading researcher who studies red light therapy and its effects on combating inflammation. He found that when red light stimulates the mitochondria to make energy (ATP), the cells work more efficiently. As a result, cells increase their production of healing antioxidants while reducing inflammation.  This is particularly good news if you have arthritis, injuries, or other inflammation-related disorders.

5. Red light helps your sleep.

Maybe you’ve read about my blue-light blocking strategies and how I wear these nerdy glasses every night at sundown?! We’re talking about the same principles of light here, too. Blue light (the kind of light that comes from your cell phone or TV screen) can delay the release of melatonin, which can make it harder to fall asleep at night and wake up feeling rested.

The opposite is also true. Red light can help you sleep better. One study found that red light therapy improves the quality of sleep and helps prevent sleep disorders from developing in the first place.

6. Red light is healing for skin. 

If you take a peek at the menu selection at many spas, you might be surprised to see that red light is used to improve skin. Red light therapy is used to:

  • Reduce the signs of aging
  • Reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
  • Reduce blemishes and acne
  • Reduce redness and other irritations

Studies show that the right light therapy (633nm in this study) promotes wound healing, too.

7. Red light is good for mama brain.

Feeling a little frazzled or worn down? Red light therapy is good for boosting your mood, sharpening your mental focus, and improving your ability to concentrate. There are a few ways red light therapy supports your brain:

  • Better sleep = more brain power
  • More ATP = more energy and less brain fog

This is hugely helpful for the “mama brain”!

8. Red light can help build muscle. 

As we age, we lose muscle tone. Unfortunately, this process can start in your early 30’s… yikes! To make the most of your workout, it’s important to support your body during the recovery process — that’s the time when you actually start to build the muscles after your efforts in the gym. Eating protein-rich meals after a workout, getting a good night of sleep, and staying hydrated all help your body recover and build lean muscle mass.

Red light therapy can help you, too.

Red light therapy makes your cells work more efficiently — which aids in your workout and recovery processes. It also boosts your energy and helps you get the sleep you need so you can power through your workout. Studies also show that red light helps to prevent muscle fatigue and injury. (source)

9. Joovv is great for busy moms.

Joovv isn’t the only light-based therapy available. Infrared light products have also grown in popularity thanks to their many benefits. Unlike infrared saunas, though, Joovv isn’t intended to make you hot and sweaty. Instead, for optional results, you only need to spend about 10 minutes a day to get your daily dose of light, which is great for busy mamas ?.

And if I’ve got a little extra time to spare? No problem! When I want to do more areas of my body, I do 20 minutes max.

10. Not all red lights are created equal.

This is so true for any product, but if you’re researching products with therapeutic benefits, it’s important to get the real deal.

There are some red lights on Amazon, but just because it features a red light bulb doesn’t mean you’ll get the effects you want. Remember, true therapeutic red lights refer to the wavelength of the light— not the color of the bulb. The lights you see on Amazon are more for heating, and they aren’t in the right nanometer (nm) ranges.

Joovv is UL-listed and created using the Medical Devices standards. If you dig into the red light therapy market even a little bit, it becomes pretty clear that Joovv is the leading brand, making the highest-quality devices, and doing the most to educate people about light and health.

Genevieve using her Joovv Light quad

What About You?

Have you tried red light therapy? Share your experience below!

References:

  1. Gurwitsch A. Die Natur des spezifischen Erregers der Zellteilung. Archiv für Entwicklungsmechanik der Organismen. 1923;52:11–40.
  2. Beloussov LV, Opitz JM, Gilbert SF. Life of Alexander G. Gurwitsch and his relevant contribution to the theory of morphogenetic fields. Int J Dev Biol. 1997 Dec;41(6):771–7.
  3. Popp FA, Li KH, Gu Q. (eds). 1992. Recent advances In biophoton research and its applications. World Scientific. Singapore, New York, London, Hong Kong.
  4. https://www.creditdonkey.com/time-spent-outdoors-statistics.html#:~:text=The%20average%20American%20spends%20only,of%207%C2%BD%20hours%20on%20electronics.
  5. https://joovv.com/blogs/joovv-blog/how-red-near-infrared-light-stimulates-cellular-respiration-boosts-energy-production