We
have recently added an infrared sauna to our office and are excited about the
potential benefits this can offer to our patients. Perhaps you have used a
sauna in the past. Most of us are familiar with steam saunas which generally
operate at a lower temperature than a dry sauna. An infrared sauna simply
relies on heat and not steam for its overall effects. A traditional sauna heats
you from the outside in. Infrared saunas heat you from the inside out. “By
heating your tissues several inches deep, the infrared sauna can enhance your
natural metabolic processes and blood circulation.” There are numerous reasons to implement sauna
use in your wellness routine.
Researchers
in Finland did extensive studies to discover multiple benefits of sauna use. In
relation to brain health, they “found that men who used a sauna four to seven
times a week for an average length of 15 minutes had a 66 percent lower risk of
developing dementia, and a 65 percent lower risk of Alzheimer’s.” An added benefit is that the
stress hormones, norepinephrine and prolactin were released increasing focus
and attention as well as repairing nerve cell damage.
In
addition to brain health, the Finnish researchers also found numerous benefits
to the heart. “Men who used the dry heat sauna seven times per week cut their
risk of death from fatal health problems in half.” The stress placed on the
body during a sauna session can mimic that of exercise. Athletic endurance is
increased due to the blood flow to the heart and other muscles.
Use
of the sauna can aide in detoxification and skin purification by increasing
blood circulation which stimulates sweat glands. Heavy metals such as cadmium,
arsenic and mercury are excreted from the body while sweating.
One
of the most popular reasons for sauna use is weight loss. According to the
Journal of the American Medical Association, “regular use of a sauna imparts a
similar boost on the cardiovascular system to running. As you relax in the
gentle infrared heat, your body is hard at work producing sweat, pumping blood
and burning calories.”
Additionally,
sauna use reduced pain in fibromyalgia and arthritis. “In one small study, 44
patients with fibromyalgia found a reduction in pain between 33 and 77
percent.”
The
information contained in this week’s article was derived from the following
Mercola.com article and Clearlight Infrared Sauna website:
No comments:
Post a Comment