Infrared Heat: What is It?

Infrared heat uses light waves that are longer than those of visible light. It’s made of invisible radiant energy that penetrates the skin and reaches deep into the cells.

The result is a warm sensation that feels like your body is heating up from the inside out. This feeling is similar to the warmth you feel while basking under the sun. Infrared heat directly insulates surfaces (e.g. floors and walls) without heating the air around them. This is what differentiates it from other heat forms.

How Infrared Heating Works

Instead of filling an enclosed space with warm air, infrared heating insulates the lowest surface first, and then gradually heats up the surroundings. This means that heating begins at floor level, making this method ideal for use under diverse conditions.

What makes infrared heating unique from convection space heating is the fact that its foremost targets are solid objects and not air.

When objects absorb infrared energy, it turns into a form of heat that warms the surrounding air. This is made possible by the different methods of heat transfer, namely radiation, convection, conduction, and re-radiation.

As you know, the opposite is true for convection space heating, which insulates the air first, then subsequently circulates the heat to warm the objects inside a given space.

Infrared Heat vs. Conventional Air Heating Systems

Conventional methods of heating the air typically use combustion to achieve a certain temperature. What many people don’t realize is that these methods can be inconvenient for those who suffer from asthma, allergies, and other breathing problems. This is because when a blower system pushes hot air into an enclosed space, it basically floods the atmosphere with dust and allergens.

When this happens, the quality of air drops, increasing people’s susceptibility to flu viruses. Apart from this, conventional air heating systems require higher combustible temperatures in order to adequately heat the air. As a result, the air is depleted of oxygen, making you feeling weary and fatigued.

In contrast to this, infrared heating warms the air indoors without using fossil fuels, so it can keep you energized without depriving you of oxygen. Infrared heating is an energy-efficient way to keep you warm while helping preserve the planet.

Health Benefits of Infrared Heat

Infrared heat has been reported to have many health benefits. This is why more people are inclined to switch from conventional air heating methods to this newer, more efficient one. Here are some of the perks you can expect from an infrared heating system.

• It can rid your body of harmful toxins.

Infrared heating is an effective way of flushing toxins from your body. As Dr. Toshiko Yamazaki, an owner of an infrared therapy clinic in Japan, said, “When the energy from far infrared waves is applied to water molecules containing toxins, the water begins to vibrate, releasing the encapsulated gases and other toxic materials back into the bloodstream where they are removed naturally by the body’s normal detoxification process.”

A research study has also found that adequate exposure to infrared heat can rid the body of higher levels of toxins like sodium, cholesterol, sulfuric acid, toxic heavy metals, ammonia, uric acid, and other fat-soluble toxins. This can be attributed to the body’s ability to rid itself of unwanted chemicals when it’s exposed to radiant heat.

• It can boost your immune system.

Studies have shown that infrared heat can strengthen your immune system to better protect you from foreign invaders like viruses, bacteria, germs, and even cancer cells.

It does this by improving your body’s production of white blood cells and killer T-cells, thereby creating a hostile environment for unwanted biological agents. Spend fifteen to twenty minutes each day exposed to infrared heat to prevent colds and flu.

• It can make your skin look healthier.

Infrared heat stimulates blood flow and boosts collagen production, thus improving skin tone and reducing the signs of skin aging. Ample exposure to infrared heat can help accelerate the healing of scars, soft tissue damage, wounds, and cuts. It can also have positive implications in the production of fibroblasts, the cells responsible for renewing connective tissues.

To some extent, infrared heat can also improve DNA synthesis, cell growth stimulation, and even the synthesis of proteins in the cells. All this can result in smoother skin texture and reduced pore size, making your skin looking healthy and beautiful.

There’s a reason why infrared heating is quickly gaining popularity. If you haven’t explored its benefits on your own, now is the time. Understand the perks of infrared heating and learn how to use this system to your advantage.