Red and near infrared lights – can they help degenerative neurological diseases?
Prof John Mitrofanis gave an excellent presentation today to clinicians at the Royal Hobart Hospital.
He took the audience through the ten plus years of research into red lights and Parkinson’s in animal models.
Continue reading “Red lights preserve brain cells…and make more of ‘em”
This article tells the story of Joy Milne, a Scottish nurse who realised that she could smell Parkinson’s disease. Tragically, she noticed the smell on her husband, a decade before he was officially diagnosed with Parkinson’s. The smell comes from the changes in the skin, the same changes that affect tolerance to temperature changes.
Read to the end, as Joy’s comments are very powerful. She shows how the non-movement symptoms of Parkinson’s can be far more damaging to quality of life and relationships than the tremors and other movement problems.
For more about the non-movement symptoms and their importance, read parts 4 and 5 of this post.
If you have looked at the availability of rolls of red and near infrared LED lights, you will see that there is a bewildering array, between orangey-red (630nm) to out of the visible spectrum so that you can’t see it at all (940nm).
So what, you ask. Surely it doesn’t matter? Surely red light, near infrared light – it’s all the same? One wavelength is as good as another?
Wavelength matters – please be cautious!
Continue reading “What wavelength is best for my condition?”
The original research grant application would have seemed odd – to shine red lights on mice. But look what that research has given us.
With all the media attention on red and near infrared lights, let’s celebrate the people who meticulously documented the effects of red and near infrared light.
Professor John Mitrofanis, University of Sydney.
Prof John has been the driver – he recognised that the problem in Parkinson’s Disease was cell battery malfunction – the mitochondria.
The first paper describing the effect of red light on Parkinsonism mice was published in 2010, nine years ago. The animal evidence was convincing way back then. Continue reading “Who should get the credit?”
Sarah Abbott, ABC Northern Tasmania reporter, spoke with Max Burr and me about the Tasmanian red light adventure.
Sincere thanks to Sarah and ABC Radio.
This ABC story is generating interest in red lights and Parkinson’s disease.
You might want to discuss red lights with your doctor.
If you take in a copy of the ABC story, your doctor will most likely inwardly sigh and tell you not to believe everything you read.
Here’s a better idea – give your doctor original research articles!
Here’s how to do that:
Blind your doctor with science – it’s the kind thing to do…
Constant knee pain makes it hard to be active, so in mid 2015, I did a lot of sitting and reading. One of the books was Norman Doidge’s The Brain’s Way of Healing.
Chapter 4 covered the effect of red and near infrared light on the brain and spinal cord, and there were some remarkable stories told. In passing, Doidge mentioned the positive effect of red and near infrared light on arthritic joints and damaged tendons.
I went hunting on Google Scholar and found some medical journal articles that Continue reading “The Beginning”
From the BBC – here
The Psychology of Ageing is one of the most interesting podcasts I’ve listened to in a while.
From Brain Science podcasts – Ginger CAMPBELL MDToday I caught up with a lovely man who had started wearing an Eliza bucket light hat nearly a month ago. His Eliza has 670nm and 810nm and he uses each wavelength for 10-15 minutes, one straight after another.
Eliza isn’t pulsed. She just puts out continuous light.
He reported feeling a lot better in himself. He said he had more energy and more interest in doing things. He had been out in the garden much more than previously and was enjoying life a lot more.
Friends had been commenting on how well he was looking. As did his general practitioner who apparently doesn’t yet know that he is using an Eliza light hat on an daily basis!
Another significant thing is that he can now hold a cup of coffee without spilling it. He is convinced that his tremor has reduced.
For all those DIY light hatters out there, this story shows that continuous light works. Don’t fret about pulsing, just get that red glow on your head every day.
When I went to medical school, the belief was that you got your full quota of brain cells at birth. It was downhill from there, and you entered old age with not many brain cells left.
What a joy it is to know that this belief is a load of rubbish.
Here is a great article, summarising recent research on the birth of new brain cells during our lives.
It is a reminder that you use your brain or you lose it, so lifelong learning stimulates the birth of new brain cells.
I can recommend learning a musical instrument – you can do it at any age. Making music on your own instrument really makes your brain work, whether you are a beginner or an old hand at it.
And use your Eliza, Cossack or Coronet each day. Red and near infrared light stimulates the birth of new brain cells.
I have been picking ripe tomatoes from the garden. Here are some of them on a white plate:
I wondered how close the 670nm coronet light was to tomato colour.
I put a coronet on a white plate and turned it on. This is the colour that come from the iPad camera:
In the kitchen, the red of the coronet looks pretty similar to the red of the tomatoes. The iPad camera makes the 670nm look pink. Most curious.
Here is the colour taken by Ron, who has real photographic skills and a real camera.
Much more tomato-like!
