FIR textiles/fabrics/materials and health

[elgarak]

On another forums someone asked the following question (reproduced with permission):

I've heard of materials / textiles that supposedly emit far-infrared radiation (FIR). This is said to have all sorts of beneficial effects on the human body and on stored food.
Several of my Asian colleagues are convinced of this technology, which seems to have originated in Korea or Japan.
Anyone experience with this ? Is the healing effect of FIR real or is this more of a placebo effect ?

My BS-O-Meter went into alarm mode. However, I would like to have some data/literature to support that.

Does anybody hear know more about that?

I did a quick google search, and beside some links for light emitters (which are not the question here!) I found only one definitely woo-ish page.

My gut-feeling is that most textiles/fabric/materials would behave similar and would not have vastly different health benefits, if at all (let's exclude heated bandages and the like).

 

[Jimbo07]

Can you link to it?

 

[elgarak]

Sorry. Here's the link to the thread

 

[Jimbo07]

Oh. meh.

 

[Amapola]

The fiber is 95% polypropylene and 5% ceramics, according to the website. As a fiber artist who has vast experience with many fibers, I find it hard to believe the claims that this fiber will emit anything. TRAP something, maybe, but emit it?

Here is the explanation, according to the site:

Far Infrared fiber refers to fiber that 'emits' far infrared rays. Our Far Infrared (FIR) Fiber is made from 95% polypropylene and 5% special lead-free ceramics utilizing our patented technologies. The ceramic is the key for 'emitting' the far infrared rays.

The ceramic that 'emits' FIR is commonly called bio-ceramic. Bio-Ceramic is made from many different kind of ceramics mixed with mineral oxides, likes Silica Oxide (SiO2), etc. The mixture is heated together at 1600 degrees centigrade to form the FIR emitting ceramic. After cooling down, it becomes the lead free, bio-ceramic with FIR emitting properties.

The bio-ceramic is then ground into micro particles in nano scale and inseminated into polypropylene during the polypropylene fiber forming process. The fiber is then stretched, twisted and made into various forms for various needs. Unlike soaking or coating process, with the insemination process, the bio-ceramic particles stay inside of the fiber and they cannot be dropped from washing. Because the bio-ceramic particles are in nano scale; they are so small and can stay inside the fiber no matter how thin it is.

.....snip.......

........ It is a well-known fact that human body constantly emits thermo energy. When the bio-ceramic is stimulated by the thermo energy of human body, it converts it into the far infrared rays and reflects it back into the human body. So the far infrared ray emitted by the far infrared fiber is really powered by our own body and there are no known side effects.

Here is an article about polypropylene.

Saying that the body emits heat and that is where the energy comes from does not satisfy me. Why don't we have lamps that work off body heat, then? Would that not be a HUGE money-making proposition, if possible? Also, I have not seen a satisfactory explanation about HOW these infrared rays make things better for the body. And another thing....... just because it is claimed that the whole thing is triggered by body heat is no guarantee that there "are no known side effects". (In fact I think the whole thing is imaginary, but it seemed to me that saying "there are no known side effects" just because it is "really powered by our own body" was not good reasoning.)

 

[elgarak]

Well, any material not at absolute zero temperature emits IR. The conversion from NIR to FIR (from higher energy photons [shorter wavelength] to lower energy photons [longer wavelength]) is one of the easiest to do and happens in nearly every material. Why the need for something special?

The whole thing sounds just like heating. Trapping body heat inside a bag, like all clothing. Clothing made out of PP sounds like an excellent heat trap. Think of being wrapped in plastic foil. Why not use tinfoil? Space blankets?

But why would this be beneficial for your health? Except for the obvious of preventing hypothermia in colder weather?

 

[fuelair]

http://www.firheals.com/

At best, by insulating this crap holds heat (that would be infrared energy/waves ) in the body. To give it off itself, it would have to absorb light energy, raise the energy level of specific electrons and they would have to give off IR when their energy level dropped back to normal . Makes exactly as much sense to stand next to a space heater nude - and they would get a lot more IR that way (or for a real healthy method, stand under UV for awhile - the UV is absorbed and given off as IR as your skin/tissue burns - very healthy I'm told.