Biological activities caused by far-infrared radiation

Abstract

Contrary to previous presumption, accumulated evidence indicates that far-infrared rays are biologically active. A small ceramic disk that emits far-infrared rays (4-16 microns) has commonly been applied to a local spot or a whole part of the body for exposure. Pioneering attempts to experimentally analyze an effect of acute and chronic radiation of far-infrared rays on living organisms have detected a growth-promoting effect in growing rats, a sleep-modulatory effect in freely behaving rats and an insomiac patient, and a blood circulation-enhancing effect in human skin. Questionnaires to 542 users of far-infrared radiator disks embedded in bedclothes revealed that the majority of the users subjectively evaluated an improvement of their health. These effects on living organisms appear to be non-specifically triggered by an exposure to far-infrared rays, which eventually induce an increase in temperature of the body tissues or, more basically, an elevated motility of body fluids due to decrease in size of water clusters.

Effect of thermal radiation on MHD flow of blood and heat transfer in a permeable capillary in stretching motion

“…Stretching velocity V w Injection/suction velocity T w Surface temperature T s Thermal slip B(t) Time-dependent magnetic field intensity k 1 (t) Time-dependent permeability parameter of blood k 2 Constant permeability of the medium k 3 Non-dimensional permeability parameter q r Radiative heat flux of blood k Thermal conductivity of blood N Velocity-slip factor K Thermal-slip factor M Hartmann number of the blood mass A Unsteadiness parameter Nr Radiation parameter S f Non-dimensional velocity-slip factor S t Non-dimensional thermal-slip factor Pr Prandtl number S Injection/Suction parameter q Density of blood r Electrical conductivity of blood m Kinematic coefficient of viscosity of blood c p Specific heat at constant pressure r H Stefan-Boltzmann constant k H Mean absorption co-efficient C f Skin-friction coefficient Nu x Local Nusselt number…”

“…It is known that in the case of radiative heat transfer, energy is transferred through space by means of electromagnetic wave propagation. There are several determinants for the quantity of heat that blood can carry with it, namely, (1) heat transfer coefficient of blood, (2) density of blood, (3) velocity of blood flow, (4) radius of the artery and (5) temperature of the tissues that surround the artery. Out of these, since Reynolds number is related to the velocity and density of blood as well as the arterial radius, the quantity of heat carried by blood can be regarded as dependent only on Reynolds number and heat transfer coefficient of blood, and the temperature of the tissues surrounding the artery.…”

“…Several experimental investigations have been carried out by some researchers (cf. Kobu [1], Inoue and Kabaya [2], Nishimoto et al [3]) to examine the effects of infrared radiation/ultrasonic radiation on blood flow. The effect of radiative heat transfer on blood flow in a stenosed artery was studied theoretically by Prakash and Makinde [4].…”

A Review of Technology of Personal Heating Garments

“…It can provide the health care function of physiotherapy after extended use. Meanwhile, it can effectively activate the histiocytes inside the human body and promote blood circulation, speed up metabolism and increase immunocompetence [32,33]. The carbon heating element uses a low voltage DC battery, so it is safe and reliable.…”

Antioxidative Effect of Far-Infrared Radiation in Human

“…In the infrared spectrum, the "growth rays" [4,5] ranging of 4-14 μm belongs to far-infrared (FIR) spectrum, which is named ascribed to its many beneficial effects represented on organisms [6][7][8][9]. For thousands of years, FIR radiation has commonly been used in Chinese medicine to cure diseases by means of moxibustion [10,11].…”