title: 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.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Inoué
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kabaya
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000528:radiation effects; D006128:Growth / Q000528:radiation effects; D006801:Humans; D007259:Infrared Rays; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000528:radiation effects; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply; D012890:Sleep / Q000528:radiation effects