03/05/2026
🍏 Red light therapy is having a moment, but can it actually support thyroid health?
Possibly, especially when we are talking about Hashimoto’s.
Red light therapy, also called photobiomodulation or low-level laser therapy, uses specific wavelengths of red and near-infrared light to stimulate cellular pathways, particularly at the mitochondrial level.
And that matters because the thyroid is an energy-demanding gland.
In Hashimoto’s, the issue is not just “low thyroid.”
It is immune dysfunction affecting thyroid tissue.
So when we talk about supporting the thyroid, we also need to talk about:
gut inflammation
nutrient status
immune regulation
mitochondrial function
stress load
sleep
blood sugar
and nervous system signalling
One study in people with Hashimoto’s found that low-level laser therapy directed at the thyroid was associated with improved T3 levels, reduced TPO antibodies, reduced need for levothyroxine in some participants, and improved symptoms.
That does not mean red light therapy is a magic thyroid cure.
And it definitely does not replace medication, proper bloodwork, nutrition, or investigating why the immune system is attacking the thyroid in the first place.
But it may be a supportive tool.
Especially when used as part of a bigger plan, not as a standalone treatment.
This is the kind of thing I love exploring through a Functional Medicine lens, because the question is never just:
“Does this work?”
The better question is:
“Who is it right for, when is it appropriate, and what else needs to be addressed so the body can actually respond?”
If you have Hashimoto’s, thyroid symptoms, fatigue, brain fog, hair loss, pain, or you’ve been told your bloods are “normal” but you still don’t feel right, this is where deeper investigation matters.