Did you know egg cells (oocytes), require huge amounts of energy compared to other cells because of their specific ability to divide and grow. This energy is provided by mitochondria, and declining mitochondrial function can be seen as a cellular cause of infertility. Today I’m going to explain how red light therapy boosts the energy of reproductive cells.
It’s possible that declining mitochondrial function is the reason for most cases of ‘unexplained’ fertility and why fertility declines with age – the egg cells just can’t make enough energy. Did you also know that there are 200 times more mitochondria in egg cells when compared to other cells?
The way we make energy in our body comes from these 4 sources: food, water, light, and air. We often focus so much on food and water, that it doesn’t occur to us we can hack into the energy of our body through light and breath also.
You may already know that light influences our waking and sleeping cycles. Certain wavelengths of light activate our body to produce our own vitamin D. Light is a powerful tool when it comes to diminishing anxiety and regulating your good mood. In addition to the light we are exposed to during the day, we can now use science to create different wavelengths of light and use them in the treatment room to improve the energy of the cells!
The question patients ask me most often is, what ELSE can I do to improve my results? So, I did my research, read more studies, and I added something which changed the game.
Near Infrared and Red Light Therapy
My thought process here was, it’s SO nice to add light therapy to an already effective treatment, and with the goal of improving cellular energy during fertility treatments, it turns out more really is better!
(The science-y bit)
The benefits of light therapy come from the interaction with mitochondria (the part of the cell that produces energy) to improve cell reproduction with less abnormalities, and reduce inflammation in the cell.
Light therapy also has an effect on the water structure inside our cells, this improves the chemical and physical properties of the cell, meaning that nutrients and resources can enter more readily, toxins can be expelled with less resistance, enzymes and proteins work more efficiently. This effect on cellular water applies not just directly inside the cells, but also outside it, in the extracellular space and tissues like blood.
All of life interacts with light – plants need light for food, humans need ultraviolet light for vitamin D, and as all the studies show, red and near infrared light are essential to humans for a healthy metabolism and reproduction.
Near infrared and red light therapy are now available as an add-on to your acupuncture sessions! This treatment is another way to help boost results whether you are doing an egg retrieval cycle, or preparing for an embryo transfer.
Want to read an interesting study on light therapy for fertility? Click here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3944482/
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