Orange Light LED Therapy: A Detailed Exploration

Are you intrigued by the world of LED light therapy and its potential health benefits? Have you ever wondered about the specific effects of orange light LED therapy? Well, you're not alone.

The realm of orange light therapy is a fascinating one, holding a unique allure that sets it apart from its blue, green, and red counterparts.

But here's the catch - there's still so much we don't know about it.

Despite a handful of studies hinting at its potential to alleviate pain and enhance cognitive function, skin health, and immune function, we're only scratching the surface.

Join us as we delve deeper into this topic and unlock its full potential, exploring the uncharted territories of coloured light therapy's psychological benefits and physical benefits.

This blog post is part of a series on chromotherapy, that explores all of these visible colours of light used in our Medical-grade Chromotherapy device located in the ceiling of your Clearlight Sauna:

• Green Light LED Therapy
• Yellow Light LED Therapy
• Purple Light LED Therapy
• Orange Light LED Therapy
• Cyan Light LED Therapy
• Blue LED light therapy
• Red LED Light

In this blog, however, we'll be shining a light (pun intended) on the potential benefits of orange light therapy!

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Orange LED Light Therapy: Different Than Blue Light, Green Light, And Red Light

When delving into the realm of orange LED light therapy, it's crucial to first grasp the concept of the 'light spectrum' in physics.

Each distinct type of light possesses its own specific wavelength (1; 2; 3; 4). This includes ultraviolet light, visible light, and infrared light.

• Infrared light, which is utilised in infrared saunas, generates heat.
• Conversely, ultraviolet light aids in the production of vitamin D in your skin, although overexposure can result in sunburn.
• Visible light, the only type perceivable by the naked eye, encompasses all hues of the rainbow.

These colours range from violet, blue, cyan, green, yellow, and orange to red, plus every shade in between.

For example, red light possesses a wavelength ranging from 620 nanometres (nm) to 750nm.

The focus of this blog post, orange light, has a wavelength spanning from 600 to 620nm.

Each wavelength imparts unique physiological effects on the human body.

Green light, as an example, can aid in fat loss, promote skin health, and facilitate weight loss, whereas red light offers a host of different benefits.

Orange Light LED Therapy Effects

Now, let's delve into the world of orange light LED therapy and its effects.

As you might deduce from its name, LED therapy utilises "Light Emitting Diodes".

These LEDs have become incredibly cost-effective since the 1990s and have since found their place in light therapy. This is largely due to their ability to be engineered to emit a specific type of light, a significant step up from traditional light bulbs.

The benefits we're about to discuss represent just a fraction of the potential health effects of orange light therapy. This is a rapidly evolving field with numerous studies being published that continue to broaden our understanding:

1. May Improve Cognitive Function

In elderly with cognitive impairment, orange LED light has been shown to improve blood flow and, thereby, cognitive function (5).

Domains of cognitive function, such as memory, executive function (e.g. planning and impulse control), and overall cognitive function, improved when orange light was applied to the brain. 610nm light was used.

In animals, 610nm orange light may also improve recovery after a stroke (6; 7; 8). Of course, these effects need to be confirmed in humans.

2. Improves Skin Health By Countering Acne

In human studies, orange light emissions, together with blue light, caused improvements in acne (9; 10; 11).

In many of these studies, there are very significant improvements, leading to huge upgrades in the quality of life of the participants with acne.

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3. May Boost The Immune System

When cells were irradiated with 610nm light in the lab, the activity of some “lymphocytes” improved (12).

Lymphocytes are related to the lymphatic system and are one of the primary cells of the immune system.

4. Probably Counters Pain

In animal studies, orange light at 610nm counters joint pain (13). Inflammation concerning Rheumatoid arthritis also went down. Confirmation of these effects in human studies is needed, though.

In studies with females who have dysmenorrhea (pain associated with menstruation), applying 610nm light lowers pain as well (14; 15). In one more study, orange light at 620nm counters pain after dental implant surgery (17). These results are promising and show a pattern of anti-pain effects of orange light.

5. May Improve Motivation

In an animal study, orange light exposure in the eyes at 620nm improves “dopamine” levels (16).

Dopamine is a brain signalling compound that improves motivation, and the ability for abstract thought such as planning, and well-being.

Blue light and ultraviolet light had similar effects in this study. 

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6. May Promote Bone Formation

In laboratory studies (in vitro), 620nm orange light can promote bone formation (18; 19). Remember that these results still need to be confirmed in animal and human studies. 

Overall Effects Of Orange Light Assessed

The potential of orange light therapy is truly exciting. At present, around 70 individual studies have been published on the wavelengths of 610nm and 620nm, which constitute orange light.

We've handpicked some of the most compelling findings from these studies to share with you.

However, it's important to note that besides its role in pain relief, many of the other effects of orange light therapy still require further research.

We're at the forefront of a fascinating area of study, and while the current findings are promising, there's still much more to discover.

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Should I Sleep With Orange LED Lights?

So here’s the deal: Green light and blue light are traditionally bad for sleep quality if you’re exposed to them at nighttime (20; 21; 22). The concern here is all blue wavelengths from 400 - 500 nanometres (including technically purple between 400 and 430nm), and green light from 500 to 550nm. 

When that blue or green light enters your eyes at nighttime, they suppress melatonin levels. Lower melatonin levels, in turn, make it harder to fall asleep, ensure that you wake up more frequently, and result in less deep sleep. So ideally, you’ll want to keep your melatonin levels high.

And, sleeping with orange LED lights is an ideal way to accomplish that because that light doesn’t inhibit melatonin production. Also, avoid the blue and green colours if you’re in an infrared sauna and using chromotherapy at night.

Our chromotherapy emits red light at 660nm, blue light at 405nm, and green at 540nm. You can combine these colours into yellow, purple, and orange by activating two out of the three.

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Orange Light As The New Bright Light Therapy

With a few dozen studies on orange light for light therapy, the results are promising. I hope many more studies will get published on the 610nm and 620nm wavelengths so that more insight is gained into the health effects of orange light.

For what it’s worth, though, right now, orange light seems to have significant effects on pain, and there’s limited evidence orange light improves cognitive function, skin health, immune function, and a few other health domains.

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Orange Light Therapy Frequently Asked Questions

Finally, let's take a moment to address some commonly asked questions about orange light therapy! It's an amazing therapeutic technique that harnesses the power of specific wavelengths of orange light to promote healing and overall well-being.

By exposing your body to this gentle yet effective light, orange light therapy can bring you a range of benefits, from improved mood to enhanced skin health. Let's dive into a few frequently asked questions to shed more light on this fascinating form of therapy!

Should I Sleep With Orange LED Lights

You can easily sleep with orange LED lights on, as these lights don’t suppress melatonin. So, it’s not a problem when the light from the orange LED lights hits your skin or even your eyes.

The light will not negatively impact your sleep, so your melatonin levels will stay high for much higher sleep quality.

What Is Orange Light Therapy

Orange light therapy uses 600 - 620nm wavelengths. Sometimes, that part of the light spectrum is considered “red”, but technically it’s considered orange. The exact mechanisms of orange light therapy are currently unknown.

What is known is that orange light therapy has benefits such as countering pain and improving blood flow. More research into this therapy is needed, though, as there are few high-quality human studies.

Is Orange Light Good For Bedroom

Yes, orange light is excellent for the bedroom. Again, the orange light doesn’t suppress melatonin levels, and you’ll end up with higher sleep quality.

Melatonin is necessary for falling asleep quickly, staying asleep, and getting lots of REM (dream phase) and deep sleep.

What Are The Negative Effects Of Orange Light

Right now, no negative effects of orange light have been found. But, undoubtedly, once a lot more research emerges on this topic, some side effects will be found.

Blue light, for instance, can keep you from sleeping and create eye damage. Orange light can make you tired if you overdo it and is unsafe when paired with cancer.

In the case of cancer, some experts believe that orange, red, and near-infrared light can potentially spread throughout the body (23; 24).

Opinions are starting to slowly shift on this topic, though, but to ensure safety, consult your doctor before using the orange light on a tumour. 

Does Orange Light Actually Work?

Yes, about 70 studies show that orange light works for many different goals. More higher-quality studies are needed, though, especially with human participants.  

So far, studies with orange light specifically, between 600 and 620nm, have shown that it may improve cognitive function, aid bone formation, increase motivation, and boost the immune system. Stronger evidence suggests that orange light has benefits for skin health and countering pain.

What Emotion Does Orange Give

If you look online, people will describe orange as energetic, happy, related to autumn, attention-grabbing, exuberant, joyful, courageous and youthful. But, the downsides described are that it is overbearing, excessively extraverted, superficial, exhibitionistic, and so forth. 

You may, however, have your own emotion for orange or ascribe your meaning to the colour orange. The truth here is in the eye of the beholder.

Why Is Orange Light Better Than Blue Light

At nighttime, orange is better than blue light because it doesn’t inhibit melatonin levels in your brain. In the daytime, however, orange and blue light are beneficial - one or the other isn’t better. 

Does Orange Light Increase Melatonin

Technically speaking, orange light does not increase melatonin. Instead, orange light prevents melatonin levels from being inhibited by blue and green light.

So it’s more correct to say that blue and green light inhibits melatonin, not that orange light increases melatonin levels.

Is Orange A Good Night Light

Orange light is a good night light, yes, as is red. Both colours are perfect for the bedroom or bathroom. Avoid blue or green night at night for good sleep.

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