Laser Treatments Benefit Metabolism And Inflammation By Improving Gut Microbiome According To Studies

As if us practitioners at Acubalance needed another reason to sing the praises of laser therapy from the rooftops, a recent study shows that it can also hugely benefit the microbiome of the digestive system. We already know it’s great for pain and injuryfertility, and combating inflammation, but a study on mice showed dramatic increases in beneficial gut bacteria in just 2 weeks of abdominal laser therapy.

Western science is slowly coming around to the fact that the body is very intricately connected, and the microorganisms that live in your gut play a huge role in your entire body’s health. In fact, the gut microbiome is sometimes even considered its own organ, which makes sense since there are more bacteria in your gut than cells in your body, and weighs about 3-5 pounds in total!

The gut microbiome is responsible for a variety of crucial functions in the body, particularly due to its communication with the immune and neuroendocrine systems. These beneficial bacteria aid in the digestion of food, helps the body absorb nutrients (especially B vitamins) and minerals, regulate blood sugar and fat storage, and keep a healthy metabolism. All of these functions influence your risk of obesity, metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases.

In this specific study, mice had their abdomen irradiated with red and infrared light over a 2 week period. The results showed a significant difference in the microbial diversity between lasered mice and sham-treated mice. In previous studies, it has already shown that photobiomodulation through low-level laser therapy has been reported to reduce body fat, alter fat metabolism and storage, improve glucose metabolism, and reduce abdominal fat tissue inflammation associated with metabolic syndrome and diabetes in mice.

So not only can laser therapy help the osteoarthritis in your knee, your endometriosis pain, and painful periods, but it can help reduce digestive discomfort associated with dysregulated gut microbiome like constipation, diarrhea, poor nutrient absorption, bloating, gas, etc. It is also shown to be an effective, safe, and non-invasive therapy to promote positive changes in the microbiome to help treat inflammatory, cardiovascular, and neurological diseases.

If you’re familiar with our laser treatments for fertility in general, you know we spend a significant amount of time lasering the lower abdomen. So not only are your reproductive organs getting the benefits of the laser but your digestive system and gut microbiome are reaping the benefits as well. Low-level laser therapy, acupuncture, supplementation, vitamin IV’s, exercise, and a healthy diet make a perfect recipe for great health in 2019.