Wellness and photobiomodulation

Episode 60: In this episode, host Angie Gust talks about red light therapy or as it is also called, photobiomodulation, or low level laser therapy. It was accidently discovered in 1967, when Endre Mester from Hungary attempted to repeat an experiment published by McGuff in Boston.  It uses low-power red light to activate the cell’s energy generators – the mitochondria. Studies have found red light therapy to improve the  skin’s appearance, reducing wrinkles, scars and acne. Interestingly, it has been studied in relation to brain benefits as well.  Turning to the environment, as you know, much of the news around climate change is disappointing.  But last year the U.S. had a great  accomplishment: greenhouse gas pollution fell even as the economy grew. That’s the finding of a new report a by the Business Council for Sustainable Energy and BloombergNEF, which estimates that net CO2 emissions dropped 1.8% from 2022 levels while GDP rose 2.4%. The Biden Administration and its cleantech policies did that. Lisa Jacobson, president of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy said, “We know that the clean energy transition is already hard-wired into the U.S. economy, but recent federal policies have proven to be an important asset in accelerating technology deployment amid a turbulent market”. Let's support these efforts where we can.

References

Bourke, I. Feb 8, 2024. A leading data scientist's journey from doomism to climate hope.BBC. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240206-hannah-ritchie-sustainability-data-spreads-hope-not-doomism

Hamblin MR. Shining light on the head: Photobiomodulation for brain disorders. BBA Clin. 2016 Oct 1;6:113-124. doi: 10.1016/j.bbacli.2016.09.002. PMID: 27752476; PMCID: PMC5066074.

Kanazawa, S. 2010. Why Liberals Are More Intelligent Than Conservatives. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-scientific-fundamentalist/201003/why-liberals-are-more-intelligent-conservatives

Smiley, J. May 12, 2023. What is red light therapy? Verywell Health  https://www.verywellhealth.com/red-light-therapy-5217767#citation-2  

The Business Council for Sustainable Energy. Feb 21, 2024. New Study shows clean energy transition thrives in 2023, boosted by federal policies. https://bcse.org/new-study-shows-clean-energy-transition-thrives-2023-boosted-federal-policies/