MMM… That’s Some Good Radiation!
You must think I am crazy!
What if I told you that not all radiation is necessarily bad? Lots of people would think that I have lost my mind. According the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or the NRC, “Radiation is energy given off by matter in the form of rays or high-speed particles (Radiation Basics, 2021).” In other words, in the most basic sense, energy from something else is radiation. Breaking this down even further, radiation can be ionizing or non-ionizing. Here we will discuss non-ionizing radiation. According to the NRC, “Non-ionizing radiation includes visible light, heat, radar, microwaves, and radio waves. This type of radiation deposits energy in the materials through which it passes, but it does not have sufficient energy to break molecular bonds or remove electrons from atoms (Radiation Basics, 2021).” This is a lot of information, but this tells us a few things. Non-ionizing radiation includes visible light and other forms of radiation that cannot alter the makeup of the atoms in the human body.
Where can I find Non-ionizing radiation?
Non-ionizing radiation is fairly common. For example, ultraviolet light from the sun, heat from the stove, and visible light from a candle are all examples of this type of radiation (Examples of Radiation, 2021). On a blustery, snowy day, I would suggest that most people would love to feel heat from a fire. Right after rain, seeing a rainbow is one of the most wonderful things we can see. These forms of radiation are lovely and can bring joy to each of us. Obviously, some of these types of radiation need to be regulated by the amount of dosage or amount that you have access to. Just as there is a limit to the amount of milk you should drink (gallon challenge, anyone?), there is a limit to the amount of heat that is good for you.
Okay, but what can this do for me?
Far Infrared Radiation is one of these forms of non-ionizing radiation that is valuable to you. Far Infrared Saunas produce a form of this non-ionizing radiation and provide heat internally that can benefit us.
Radiation Basics. (2021, February 01). Retrieved from https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/radiation/health-effects/radiation-basics.html
Examples of Radiation. (2021, February 01). Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-and-is-not-radiation-608647
