On a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Joe Rogan sat down with science journalist Rowan Jacobsen to discuss sunlight, skin health, and the role of light in human biology. During the conversation, Rogan shared a surprising personal claim about red light therapy and its impact on his vision.
The topic emerged when Jacobsen noted that dermatologists have started exploring red light therapy as a treatment option. While he acknowledged that research is still developing, he suggested there was likely “something there.”
That prompted Rogan to share his own experience.
“I’ve talked about this before, so I apologize to anybody listening, but I’ve essentially completely stopped my macular degeneration with red light therapy,” Rogan said.
He went even further, claiming the treatment had improved his condition beyond simply halting its progression.
“Not just stopped it, but reversed it,” he said. “Like I don’t need reading glasses anymore.”
Rogan explained that he had been using a red light bed consistently for around two years and noticed results fairly quickly.
“I’ve been using a red light bed for about two years now,” he said. “And from the time I started using it, within about a month, I started seeing benefits.”
Rogan recalls starting red light therapy after podcast recommendation
Rogan then explained how he was introduced to the therapy.
“Gary Brecka was on the podcast and he explained it to me,” Rogan said. “And so I went out and bought one of these really expensive, it’s like a tanning bed, this thing you lie in. And I do it three times a week for 20 minutes.”
He also described his routine in detail, including how he uses the device.
“Naked. Just lie down in there,” Rogan said. “And I keep my eyes open.”
He then recalled receiving different instructions during an earlier visit to a health clinic.
“They, you know, I went to a tanning bed once, not a tanning bed, a red light bed once at the health clinic and they were like, got to wear these goggles and make sure you close your eyes before the light goes on,” he said.
Rogan added that he later learned there may still be benefits even when the eyes are covered.
“I was like okay I did all that and apparently there’s some benefit that even when blindfolded it increases your vision,” he said.
Jacobsen responded by pointing to research from optometrist Glen Jeffrey at University College London.
“There’s a guy at University College London, Glen Jeffrey, who this is his whole field, optometry and red light,” Jacobsen said. “And he has shown in multiple different animals including humans that red light improves mitochondrial function and improves vision.”
Rogan then provided more context about the changes he believes he experienced.
“I mean I’m 58 and for me to be 56 and saying I’m f**ked… I had these things everywhere,” Rogan said while referring to reading glasses. “I had all these reading glasses. I had them all over my house.”
He explained that his eyesight had deteriorated to the point where he relied heavily on inexpensive magnifying readers.
“I’d gotten up to 3X,” he said. “These are the cheap Amazon ones. I had a nice pair, but I keep losing them. So I just went out and bought cheap ones. They seem to work.”
According to Rogan, he needed them for everyday tasks.
“And it was just fine for looking at a computer, you know, reading my emails, reading my phone, and I needed them to read my phone,” he said.
Now, however, he claims they are no longer necessary.
“I don’t need them anymore, like at all,” Rogan said. “I don’t use them anymore.”
While he acknowledged that his eyesight is not perfect, he believes it has improved significantly.
“My vision’s not perfect. It’s not as good as it was when I was 20, but it’s way better than it was when I was 56,” he said.
Jacobsen followed up by explaining why red light therapy may have a particularly strong effect on vision, citing the unique energy demands of the eyes.
“The mitochondria in the eyes have to fire faster than any mitochondria anywhere else in the body,” Jacobsen said. “The eyes burn through energy like no other cells.”
He continued by describing the workload placed on the visual system.
“Because it’s like, you know, it’s kind of the toughest task. They got to go super fast,” Jacobsen said. “So those mitochondria need to be on top of their game and it seems like red light benefits that in particular.”
