EP 1418
1418: The 1910 Secret: How Light Turns Water Into Medicine | Brian Richards
Brian Richards, founder of SaunaSpace and a pioneering expert in incandescent light therapy and infrared sauna engineering, joins Host Dave Asprey to break down why near-infrared light functions as an essential nutrient the body cannot manufacture on its own, how the same institutional forces that suppressed chiropractic care and natural medicine buried a forgotten 1910 therapy developed by Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, why blue light exposure from screens and LEDs crashes testosterone, disrupts fertility, and slows mitochondrial efficiency, how near-infrared light combined with fats physically restructures water into a more bioavailable state inside the cells, why the heart’s chambers are shaped to vortex blood for low-energy, electrostatic circulation through the body, how man-made EMF exposure silently drains human performance and why grounding and Faraday shielding are critical and overlooked longevity tools, and why treating infrared light as a daily nutrient may be one of the most underrated levers in modern biohacking. Essential listening for anyone serious about biohacking, functional medicine, sleep optimization, anti-aging, brain optimization, mitochondria, and smarter not harder approaches to human performance.
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In this Episode of The Human Upgrade™...
Near-Infrared Light Therapy & EMF Shielding with SaunaSpace Founder Brian Richards
Your mitochondria are starving for a nutrient you’ve probably never tracked, and it’s not a vitamin or a macro. This episode reveals how a forgotten 1910 therapy uses light to physically restructure water inside your cells, unlocking a mechanism for healing, detox, and mitochondria repair that most of biohacking has completely overlooked.
Go to https://sauna.space/ and use code ‘Dave’ for a 15% discount!
Host Dave Asprey sits down with Brian Richards, founder of SaunaSpace and a leading voice in incandescent light therapy and infrared sauna engineering. With a background in chemistry and organic synthesis, Brian spent over a decade building a science-backed alternative to LED-based light therapy rooted in full-spectrum incandescent light and deep radiant heat. After healing his own insomnia, adrenal fatigue, and brain fog through light and heat exposure, he developed the FireLight Spectrum, a technology engineered to restore what modern lighting strips away.
Dave and Brian trace incandescent light therapy back to Dr. John Harvey Kellogg’s 1910 book on light therapeutics, and explain why the same institutional forces that suppressed chiropractic care and natural medicine buried this practice for over a century. They break down how near-infrared light penetrates the body to charge water into a more bioavailable state, boost glutathione and melatonin production, and repolarize cellular voltage for better metabolism and longevity. The conversation also covers why blue light from LEDs devastates hormones, testosterone, and fertility, how EMF exposure silently drains human performance, and why grounding and Faraday shielding matter more than most supplements on the market.
You’ll Learn:
- Why near-infrared light functions as an essential nutrient your body cannot make without it
- How light physically restructures water to improve mitochondria function and cellular energy
- The suppressed history of Dr. Kellogg’s incandescent light therapy and why it disappeared
- How blue light exposure crashes testosterone and disrupts fertility and hormone regulation
- Why EMF shielding and grounding are critical, overlooked tools for longevity and recovery
- How to use infrared light like a daily supplement instead of an occasional treatment
- Why carnivore-adjacent, nutrient-dense eating pairs naturally with light and heat therapy
Keywords: Brian Richards, SaunaSpace, incandescent light therapy, near-infrared light, FireLight Spectrum, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, Light Therapeutics, exclusion zone water, Gerald Pollack, EMF shielding, Faraday cage, grounding mat, earthing, redox potential, mitochondrial energy, glutathione, melatonin, blue light toxicity, circadian biology, red light therapy, heat shock proteins, vitamin D, sun callus, Danger Coffee, Flexner Report, testosterone, biophotons
Resources:
- Go to https://sauna.space/and use code ‘Dave’ for a 15% discount!
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- My Daily Supplements: SuppGrade Labs (15% Off)
- Favorite Blue Light Blocking Glasses: TrueDark (15% Off)
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"Our mitochondria absolutely slow down in their efficiency when they get too much blue light."
Brian Richards
00:00 – Trailer
A quick preview of the light and heat therapy insights covered in this episode.
00:46 – Meet Brian Richards
Brian shares how his mother’s advice to try a near-infrared sauna for adrenal fatigue and acne led him to found SaunaSpace.
03:17 – Kellogg’s Light Bath History
Dave and Brian trace incandescent light therapy back to Dr. John Harvey Kellogg’s 1910 book on light therapeutics and his work healing thousands of patients at his Battle Creek sanitarium.
09:04 – Persecuted Light Pioneers
They discuss how early light therapy pioneers like Dr. Ghadiali were persecuted and their machines destroyed as the AMA and Flexner Report consolidated control over medicine.
12:47 – Near-Infrared Science
Brian explains why near-infrared light makes up most of the sun’s power and penetrates deeper into the body than any other wavelength.
16:07 – Blue Light Damage
Dave and Brian break down how blue light from screens and LEDs causes oxidative stress, slows mitochondrial efficiency, and crashes testosterone levels.
19:26 – Sunscreen Myths
They unpack how sunscreen research isolates ultraviolet light from the healing near-infrared naturally found in sunlight, distorting the actual risk.
23:52 – Antidote & Melatonin
Brian explains how near-infrared light offers a protective antidote to blue light exposure and drives natural melatonin and glutathione production.
33:24 – Exclusion Zone Water
Dave and Brian discuss Gerald Pollack’s research on exclusion zone water and how infrared light combined with fats transforms water into a more bioavailable state in the cells.
37:52 – Heart as a Vortex
They explore how the heart’s chambers are shaped to vortex blood and why this design supports electrostatic, low-energy circulation through the body.
41:47 – Fireplace & Infrared Deficiency
Brian explains why humans have always gathered around fire for its infrared benefits and how far northern climates create serious infrared deficiency.
46:15 – FireLight Bulb Design
Brian describes how he engineered the FireLight Spectrum bulb to replicate the sun’s red and near-infrared wavelengths without any harmful blue light.
51:52 – EMF Shielding
Dave and Brian discuss the dangers of man-made EMF exposure and how SaunaSpace shields its products using Faraday-based technology.
55:16 – Faraday Cage & Grounding
Brian explains how the sauna’s grounding mat and silver-lined shielding work together to create a fully grounded Faraday cage for deeper relaxation.
1:05:51 – Sauna.Space Discount
Dave shares how listeners can get 15% off SaunaSpace products using code Dave.
Thank you to our sponsors!
– ELITE Performance Coaching | If you’d like to discover where you may be addicted to struggle, allergic to success, and what may be standing between you and your next breakthrough, visit FastestChange.com
– Longevity Farms | Go to getlongevityfarms.shop. Use code DAVE for 20% off your next order.
– Calroy | Go to calroy.com/dave for the clinical research, your discount, and a 45-day money-back guarantee.
– PredictiveMind™ | Get your Brain Pattern Mapping report at predictivemind.io/dave and use code DAVE for 10% off.
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