Phototherapy, Your Questions, and Sushi Parasites

Phototherapy, informally known as light therapy, was used to treat ailments in ancient Egyptian, Hindu, and Chinese medicine, relying on sunlight. Light is a form of energy, and at different wavelengths, ranging from infrared and visible light to ultraviolet light, it can reach different parts of the body and trigger varied physiological actions. Modern phototherapy, which employs artificial lights and is sometimes combined with a light-sensitive drug, can kill bacteria or cancer cells, convert cellular waste into a more water-soluble form, boost mitochondrial activity, and more.

> Red light therapy has its roots in NASA plant research. (More)
> See photos of UV light therapy from the early 1900s. (More)
> The FDA just approved a photodynamic drug for the most common form of skin cancer. (More)

In 1903, a Danish physician won the Nobel Prize for his work using phototherapy to treat a type of skin tuberculosis. More recent advances in artificial lighting and a better understanding of light wavelengths and filtering have led to light-based treatments for a variety of health conditions, such as newborn jaundice, cancer, acne, wrinkles, and mental health conditions.

> Light therapy was widely used as a medical treatment before it was replaced by antibiotics. (More)

> Explore how blue light therapy helps treat jaundice. (More)

> In 1974, a major scientific magazine said light therapy would be on par with traditional drugs within a decade. (More)

Phototherapy is supported by robust research for some applications, particularly for certain skin and cancer therapies. It employs different-colored lights depending on the tissue target, including more penetrating blue LED lights for jaundice treatment and red LED lights for skin-surface issues, such as wrinkles and scars. Research remains limited on using phototherapy to treat broader inflammation or neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease or dementia.

> A Norwegian clinic is integrating circadian-friendly lighting to help treat its patients. (More)

> High-powered red light therapy—delivered directly to nerve fibers—is being investigated as a pain treatment. (More)

Discover more: 

> Red light therapy only penetrates the top layers of our skin. (More)

> Age-related macular degeneration is sometimes treated with phototherapy. (More)
> ... explore everything we've learned about Phototherapy.

In partnership with Earth Echo

This Hot Drink May Support Stem Cell Activity

Is chocolate the secret to a long life? Earth Echo put "healthy chocolate" claims to the test. Turns out, sun-dried ceremonial-grade cacao holds onto far more of its natural compounds than the roasted cocoa powder in most supermarket chocolate.

That's the idea behind Cacao Bliss, a 7-superfood blend of ceremonial-grade cacao, cinnamon, turmeric, MCT oil, and monk fruit, formulated by fitness expert Danette May. At 35 calories a cup, it's designed to ease sweet cravings and support healthy appetite control, plus smooth energy without the jitters—no sugar crash required. Over 68,000 customers have made it part of their morning routine, backed by a money-back guarantee.

See why chocolate lovers are switching to ceremonial-grade cacao.

Please support our sponsors!

 News in Context 

1440 brings you the knowledge and context behind recent intriguing stories:

Visualize the health impacts of the 9/11 attacks, which include more than 49,000 cases of cancer. (More) 

> Toxic dust from the collapse of the Twin Towers included materials including asbestos, silica, metals, concrete, and glass.

> Explore our 1440 deep dive on cancer.

This year's Lasker Award winners—sometimes called the American Nobels—included sleep science researchers who identified a key control of the sleep-wake cycle and scientists who developed a treatment for hemophilia. (More)

> What is narcolepsy?

> Sleep helps to clear toxins from your brain.

States are weighing bills to require antichoking devices at schools, even as medical groups stick with Heimlich and back blow recommendations. (More)

> The American Red Cross stopped calling abdominal thrusts the Heimlich maneuver in 2006. 

> Dr. Henry Heimlich (who also once won a Lasker Award) controversially promoted treating cancer, HIV, and Lyme with malaria infection.

Louisiana argued in federal court that FDA rules allowing telehealth prescriptions of mifepristone are keeping the state from enforcing its right to prohibit abortion. (More)

> Menstrual cycle apps could put women at legal risk in certain states with abortion restrictions.

> What does an 1873 law have to do with today's controversies over mailing mifepristone?

 Medical Developments Spotlight 

We love spending time learning about the latest medical breakthroughs and spotlighting research that piques our interest, may influence future research directions, or inform healthcare conversations. Here's what we found this week.

Sushi may be rife with parasites, according to a new tuna analysis that found 96% of sampled fish contained parasitic worms.

Ocean and Coastal Research | Clarissa Maia de Aquino, Gracienhe Gomes dos Santos, et al. Researchers who collected 53 samples of popular skipjack tuna in 2019 and 2021 from Brazilian waters found that the tuna contained more than 1,600 worms and that every organ except the kidneys and heart was infested. The fish is widely used, both in sushi and in canned products, so the finding underscores the need for careful seafood inspection, since some parasites—including one detected in this study—can sicken humans. (More)

> Sushi didn't reach Westerners until the mid-1800s because Japan was closed to tourists.

Rugby—like other contact sports—appears to have a high incidence of CTE, with 31 of 51 donated brains showing signs of the disease.

AP | Staff. The brain donors had played at various levels of the sport, from amateur to professional, and were of varied ages. Some donors were only in their 20s, which is a particularly troubling finding; earlier research published in 2023 had found the risk increased with more years of play. The new findings were presented at the International Sports Concussion Conference in Melbourne. (More)

> Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, explained.

Drinking very hot drinks may hurt our esophagus and increase cancer risks.

The Guardian | Denis Campbell. New research that tracked about 980,000 people in the UK over 14 years suggests that drinking multiple hot drinks daily likely hurts cells lining the esophagus and triples the risk of developing esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, a type of esophageal cancer. The new finding further supports the International Agency for Research on Cancer's 2016 statement that hot drinks were "probably carcinogenic to humans." This type of esophageal cancer incidence is very low, however, so even with this elevated risk, the chances of developing SCC are quite small. (More)

> Food moves from our esophagus through our GI tract thanks to involuntary contractions called peristalsis.

 YOUR Questions Answered on Phototherapy

In partnership with Earth Echo

Longevity Secret: Dessert for Breakfast

Most Americans think eating sweets for breakfast is unhealthy. But in Costa Rica's Nicoya Peninsula—one of the world's Blue Zones, where people live to 100 at some of the highest rates on Earth—a daily cacao drink has long been part of the morning routine. Research on the region's traditional cacao-drinking populations has linked the habit to steadier blood sugar and insulin sensitivity, healthy blood pressure, and strong hearts and arteries with strikingly low rates of heart disease.

Eat this Costa Rican longevity "dessert" for breakfast.

Please support our sponsors!

 Etcetera 

> On average, Indonesia's population ingests the equivalent of roughly three credit cards' worth of microplastics per month from burning trash. 

> 10% of Americans believe they're allergic to penicillin when only about 1% of us truly are. 

> Watch this CRISPR explainer to learn how scientists adapted a natural bacterial defense system.

> Kangaroos evolved exceptionally thick knee cartilage and rarely develop arthritis.

> Why are thousands of donated kidneys thrown away each year?

> Oura and wearable sleep trackers are generally useful for identifying overall sleep trends, but less valuable for identifying individual sleep stages.

> Scroll through this animated story about loneliness that situates modern statistics about isolation.

> More than one-third of America's prisoners have at least one mental illness.

> This is how to safely remove water from your ears—hint: It doesn't involve a Q-tip.
 

> Meet America's most common waterborne illness.

> How does growing organic foods affect the environment? 

> PET scans create images of the body by detecting light emitted from the annihilation of matter and antimatter.