A spray of light on a dark background — Image from Casey Horner on Unsplash

Here we are with another fertility lesson from Jennifer McIntosh, Soul Sprout’s fertility expert.

There has been a lot of discussion of light therapy these days and even more so for its effects on fertility. People wonder how a red light can increase their chances of conceiving a child. Well, it’s all about cellular health!

If you remember what we learned back in science class, the “power house” of our cells is called the mitochondria. Mitochondria convert nutrients from our food into Adenosine Triphosphate or ATP and our body uses ATP as energy. The same thing happens when mitochondria are exposed to red or near infrared light. They absorb the light and covert it to energy, making the cell stronger and healthier.

LLLT is especially helpful when it comes to fertility because egg cells or ova have many, many more mitochondria than other cells. Most body cells carry 300 to 400 mitochondria but egg cells are huge and carry close to 100,000 mitochondria. Therefore, improved mitochondrial health has the potential to optimize egg quality and increase chances of a healthy conception.

Red Light Therapy At Soul Sprout

Near infrared light at wavelengths between 720nm and 840nm have the best penetration into biological tissue. Here at Soul Sprout, we use the Celluma Pro light panel which uses a combination of wavelengths that range up to 880nm.

When trying to conceive, we recommend using the Celluma 2-3 times per week before ovulation. The panel is placed over your lower abdomen for 20-30 minutes while you rest comfortably. Celluma can be used during an acupuncture session or you can come in just to use the panel while resting in our “relaxation room”.