Emerging research suggests that red and near-infrared light therapy could aid glucose control and reduce insulin resistance, but experts emphasise that further studies are essential before widespread clinical adoption.
Red light therapy is being promoted as more than a recovery tool: new research suggests it may also have a role in metabolic health, including insulin resistance. That idea is not yet settled science, but it is gaining attention after a series of 2026 papers examined whether photobiomodulation, the technical term for using red or near-infrared light to influence tissue function, can affect glucose control and related pathways.
A systematic review in Photobiomodulation, Photomedicine, and Laser Surgery found that studies in people with type 2 diabetes were associated with lower fasting glucose, lower post-meal glucose and reductions in haemoglobin A1c, a measure of longer-term blood sugar control. The review also reported changes in haemodynamic and metabolic markers, although the authors said the certainty of evidence remained very low to low and that larger, better-designed trials are still needed. A separate review in Endocrinology Insights reached a broadly similar conclusion, describing photobiomodulation as a possible aid to glucose metabolism while stressing that protocols are not yet standardised.
Other 2026 research points in the same direction, but with important limits. A PubMed-indexed mouse study found that photobiomodulation eased insulin resistance caused by intermittent hypoxia by preserving insulin signalling in adipose tissue and reducing oxidative stress in the liver. Another review in Current Diabetes Reports described bioelectronics-enabled therapies, including photobiomodulation, as a potentially useful approach for insulin resistance and its complications, while again calling for more work on treatment dose, timing and patient selection.
The biological case rests largely on mitochondria, inflammation and blood flow. Researchers say photobiomodulation may help mitochondria produce energy more efficiently, lower oxidative stress and improve nitric oxide availability, which can widen blood vessels and improve circulation. That matters because skeletal muscle is a major site of glucose disposal. Still, the practical message from the literature is cautious: red light therapy should be seen, at most, as a possible adjunct to established measures such as diet, exercise, sleep and weight management, not a substitute for them.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
