Red light therapy and saunas may not just be snake oil. Here’s where the research stands

Red light therapy can be delivered through lasers or LED devices, as shown above. (O2O Creative/E+/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)

You have a problem? There is probably a product that claims to solve it –– especially in the longevity space.

Social media, stores and online ads are abuzz with different regimens, items, supplements and strategies promising a longer life and everlasting beauty. It can be easy to get swept up in things that are just snake oil.

“There’s so much misinformation online about everything,” journalist Kara Swisher said. “There’s all these, essentially, wellness grifters that are giving people bad information, and these shortcuts that don’t really work.”

It is fine if the things that don’t work out are harmless, such as a terrible cauliflower bread recipe, she added, but “a lot of this stuff is real medical stuff that is not good for you or it’s costly for you, and I found that really offensive.”

In this week’s episode of “Kara Swisher Wants to Live Forever,” a CNN series airing at 9 p.m. ET Saturday that investigates longevity trends and science, Swisher parses out the grifts from the actual longevity tools.

Some of the things marketed toward people looking for longer, healthier lives are harmful; others are just expensive but not effective, she said. Then there are those that, even if they still need more research, may have something to offer.

Red light therapy

One of the latest crazes in beauty and longevity trends is red light therapy, but its impacts aren’t strictly just hype, said Dr. Zakia Rahman, a clinical professor of dermatology at Stanford University School of Medicine and affiliate faculty at the Stanford Center on Longevity.

Red light and less commonly talked about near-infrared light are specific wavelengths of light, which can send different signals to the body.

The idea is that the red light is converted to energy in the mitochondria, which if you remember from biology class are the powerhouse of the cell. While not known with certainty, researchers believe that exposing the cells to red light wavelengths helps improve cell performance and resilience and reduces inflammation, said Dr. Praveen Arany, associate professor of oral biology at the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine in New York.

The scientific evidence is increasingly supporting the assertion that red light therapy can help with skin texture and hair growth, which has caused a boom in at-home devices for cosmetic purposes, Rahman added.

Studies are being done to look at a host of other potential benefits such as treating chronic pain, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease, Arany said.

Going beyond the surface and treating deeper parts of the body still need more data, however. Protocols such as how to administer the light, exactly which wavelengths to use and for what amount of time still haven’t been established, he said.

There are two ways of administering red light therapy: lasers, which are typically in a doctor’s office, and LED panels, which many people are buying for their homes. The LED option has less potential for damage if used incorrectly, but there is also less quality control in the marketplace, Arany said.

If you want to try red light therapy and feel confident about the machine you are purchasing, Rahman recommends starting by looking for devices that have clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration.

But remember, she said, red light therapy isn’t a magic elixir, and you won’t use a device once and wake up the next day looking 10 years younger with a full head of hair. Devices such as these take consistent use over a period of months to see results, Rahman said.

Sweating in a sauna

Sweating it out in a sauna is another wellness strategy that isn’t purely snake oil, Swisher said.

“If you don’t overdo it, you get plenty of water. It’s great. It’s actually one of the better things you can do for yourself,” she said. Aside from any potential physiological benefits, 20 minutes in a sauna means a window of relaxation without your phone, she added.

The use of saunas has been popular in cultures all over the world, and there is some research to back up their usage. Studies have linked regular sauna use to improved cardiovascular health, benefits to cognitive health, and maintenance of muscle mass, according to a 2021 research review.

The mechanisms behind saunas’ effectiveness aren’t totally established, but Dr. David Burke recommends that his patients who want to give saunas a try aim for 20 minutes four to five days a week.

“That’s a simple one, but it’s stunning how good it is for such a short period of time,” said Burke, chairman emeritus of the department of rehabilitation medicine at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.

Effective saunas can often be found at your local gym, or there are options to buy compact saunas for your home, he added.

The stuff researchers know works

As exciting as new tech can be and as much as it fits into an idea of luxury to buy the wonder product that will improve your life, even researched tools such as saunas and red light therapy aren’t the biggest difference makers.

If you aren’t eating well, sleeping enough, getting some exercise and fostering a healthy social life, red light therapy and saunas can only do so much.

The people who benefit most from red light at home devices are “often people who are already doing the other things, and they want a device to add on to their regimen,” Rahman said.

Not only are these devices the whipped cream on top rather than the foundational ice cream of the sundae, but they are an added expense when even the basics of healthy longevity can be hard to achieve.

Eating a largely plant-based diet, sleeping enough and exercising should be a priority, said Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, a scientist at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, England, and author of the book “Why We Die: The New Science of Aging and the Quest for Immortality.”

“People say these three things are free, but they’re only free if you have free time and the ability to do those things,” he said. “It is difficult, but on the other hand, it’s a doable thing.”

By Madeline Holcombe, CNN