FAR Infrared Is Light; FAR Infrared Is Energy
By Pertti Olavi Jalasjaa
Infrared – “Under the Rainbow”
As every rainbow demonstrates, the optical spectrum (the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that can be detected by the human eye) includes the seven colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. By definition, red is the color with the longest wavelengths of visible light, and violet is the color with the shortest wavelengths of visible light. Among the types of invisible light or electromagnetic radiation that reside outside of the optical spectrum are infrared radiation (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Translated from Latin, “infra” and “ultra” mean “below” and “beyond,” respectively, so infrared radiation, or infrared light, is literally “below red,” and ultraviolet light is “beyond violet.”
The German-born astronomer William Herschel discovered infrared light while living in England in 1800, about 20 years after his historic first sighting of the planet Uranus. Measuring the heat from the optical spectrum, Herschel observed that the temperature in the colors increased as he went from violet to red. He also noticed that the temperature continued to increase beyond the color red, into a region of invisible light that Herschel named “infrared.”
Infrared light is divided into three distinct segments with precise ranges of wavelength measured by microns. A single micron is equivalent to 1/1,000,000 of a meter. The segments are near infrared, middle infrared, and far infrared. Far infrared light is sometimes called thermal radiation or thermal light, and its wavelengths measure between 5.6 and 1,000 microns. The light or energy from sunlight and fire that we perceive as heat is far infrared.
The far infrared radiation (FIR) emitted by the sun should not be confused with its deleterious ultraviolet radiation. Far infrared light provides the healthy benefits of natural sunlight with none of the dangerous side effects of exposure to UV radiation.
How Infrared Energy Works
As people continue to turn to special sunscreen lotions to procure protection from the sun’s damaging ultraviolet rays, more and more individuals are also embracing modern technology to benefit from the power of far infrared or thermal light indoors at their own leisure. Chief among the consumer products utilizing the technology is the far infrared sauna or heat therapy room.
A principal property of far infrared light is its ability to heat an object directly without elevating the temperature of the air surrounding the object. Known as direct light conversion, it’s perhaps best exemplified when you’re outdoors on a summer day and a large cloud moves in front of the sun. In the shade, you feel less warm than you did when you were basking in the direct path of the sun’s energy, but the air temperature is no cooler than it was before the cloud obscured the sun. By moving between you and the sun, the cloud has obstructed the sun’s far infrared rays and prevented them from reaching you. That’s why you feel cooler even though the temperature of the air around you didn’t drop.
The value of far infrared light to our health and wellness should not be underestimated. Penetrating as deeply as two inches into our bodies, far infrared rays improve blood circulation, stimulate endorphins, lower lactic acid, burn calories, and kill certain bacteria and parasites. Proponents of hyperthermia, or fever therapy, affirm that using such deep-penetrating far infrared energy to therapeutically induce higher body temperatures helps defend against infections and even cancer. Their stand is supported by the human body itself, which radiates infrared energy for the benefits of warmth and tissue repair.
Comparing Traditional and Far Infrared Saunas
Saunas have long been a tried and true source of health benefits. For hundreds of years, traditional saunas have helped to improve heart and lung function, promote body detoxification, maintain general health, and foster greater relaxation in sauna bathers both near and far. In the eyes of many sauna enthusiasts, the traditional hot sauna – the Finnish sauna – most brightly lights the way to renewed health and a revitalized spirit.
Far infrared saunas or heat therapy rooms offer most of the same benefits as traditional saunas; however, they do so at lower, more tolerable temperatures. While the air temperature in a typical traditional Finnish sauna bath ranges from 170 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit (77 to 93 degrees Celsius), such temperatures are not needed to bring about effective bather perspiration in a far infrared sauna. By penetrating the bather’s skin and achieving a deep, satisfying heat of just 100 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit (38 to 55 degrees Celsius), the far infrared rays can create a decidedly cleansing, detoxifying and rejuvenating experience for the bather. Many sources claim the volume of sweat produced during a far infrared sauna session can be as much as three times greater than in a Finnish sauna. The higher volume of sweat means a quicker, more thorough, and thus healthier flushing of toxic chemicals and heavy metals from the body.
Benefits of Far Infrared Sauna Use
There are many benefits to be derived from proper and regular use of a far infrared sauna. The list below spotlights several worth noting:
1. Far infrared sauna bathing increases blood circulation.
2. Far infrared sauna bathing helps reduce stress and fatigue.
3. Far infrared sauna bathing strengthens the body’s immune system.
4. Far infrared sauna bathing helps revitalize skin cells.
5. Far infrared sauna bathing can reduce fat and cellulite.
6. Far infrared sauna bathing relieves muscle spasms, joint pain and headaches.
7. Far infrared sauna bathing helps improve muscle tone and strength.
8. Far infrared sauna bathing can improve cardiovascular functioning.
9. Far infrared sauna bathing promotes respiratory and sinus decongestion.
10. Far infrared sauna bathing facilitates enzyme activity.
11. Far infrared sauna bathing improve nutrition and production of brain chemicals.
12. Far infrared sauna bathing can improve autonomic functions of the nervous system.
Further Applications of Far Infrared Energy
Far infrared saunas are just one example of the application of infrared energy in contemporary society. Other uses of infrared energy have resulted in infrared hair dryers, infrared foot massagers, infrared pillows, infrared underwear, and even infrared leg wraps for horses. There are far infrared ray-emitting paints and wallpaper that combat mold as well as fast-cooking far infrared ovens that reportedly kill E. coli bacteria and may someday replace microwave ovens. Far infrared rays are being utilized to purify polluted air, promote growth in plants, keep newborn babies warm in hospitals, treat injured athletes, and even encourage new hair growth.
Far Infrared Is Essential to Life
Far infrared rays are a fundamental, indispensable part of life on Earth. All people, animals and plants in our environment receive and radiate them. And now, with far infrared saunas and other infrared applications becoming increasingly common, we humans are astutely taking steps to benefit from those remarkable rays and improve the quality of our own lives.