Nootropics (pronounced: no-oh-troh-picks), also called smart drugs or cognitive enhancers, have undergone a dramatic spike in popularity in recent years and are being used by many people to enhance brain functions like memory, creativity and motivation.
The effects of red light on enhancing brain function are significant and have been scientifically well-established. In fact, light in the red and infrared spectrums could very well be THE most powerful nootropics ever discovered by man. Let’s look at some science:
Austin researchers at the University of Texas applied infrared laser light to the foreheads of healthy volunteers and measured its effects on cognitive parameters, including attention, memory and mood. The treated group experienced improvements in reaction time, memory and an increase in positive emotional states for the two-week follow-up period after treatment.
“These data imply that transcranial laser stimulation could be used as a non-invasive and efficacious approach to increase brain functions such as those related to cognitive and emotional dimensions.”
Another study investigated the effects of infrared laser light on the brain both individually and in combination with aerobic exercise. Compared to the control group which wasn’t administered either the light or the exercise, the group of American researchers reported in 2016,
“The transcranial infrared laser stimulation and acute aerobic exercise treatments were similarly effective for cognitive enhancement, suggesting that they augment prefrontal cognitive functions similarly.”