The Finnish people have known about the benefits of the sauna for years and the rest of the world is finally starting to understand! With this, daily use of the sauna should become part of your routine. There are many scientific researches that bring back to this beneficial practice for the body and the mind.

What is a sauna?

Many traditional cultures have used thermal therapies for healing for thousands of years. Today, the use of the sauna is embedded in many cultures, from Finnish saunas to Swedish bastu.

The term "sauna" can refer to any type of small or large room or device designed to help the user experience dry heat or moist heat (steam). There are now also infrared saunas. These emit infrared light and claim to heat the body more efficiently.

Types of saunas

There are multiple types of saunas, including:

• Traditional dry saunas, which can be heated by fire, hot stones, gas or electricity (popular in Scandinavian or Finnish culture)
• Steam saunas, where you can generate steam by applying water to the heating element (often found in spas and gyms)
• Infrared saunas that use invisible light at certain frequencies to penetrate and warm body tissues directly (smaller home units are available)

Infrared saunas can be divided into 3 types:

• Near infrared
• Far infrared
• Full spectrum infrared

Infrared sauna vs. traditional sauna

The infrared sauna is a more recent invention, as it can only be operated by electricity. In the 1800s, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg of Michigan developed what he called an "electric light bath" from light bulbs.

After presenting his invention at the Chicago World's Fair, a German entrepreneur saw the device, replicated it and sold it worldwide for its powerful healing capabilities. It was said that this device cured gout for the king of England!

How do infrared saunas work?

While traditional saunas heat the air to warm the body, infrared saunas use invisible light just below the red light frequencies to penetrate and heat the tissue directly, up to 1.5 inches deep into the skin. Although our eyes cannot see it, we can feel it as a soft, radiant warmth.

The mechanism by which infrared saunas work is called photobiomodulation... a big fancy word meaning a form of therapy using light.

Near Infrared Saunas

High frequency red light and near infrared light (0.8 - 1.5 µm) can excite energy producing enzymes in the mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cell. This increases mitochondrial function and initiates many healing processes within cells, including increasing cellular energy production, reducing oxidative stress and reducing inflammation.

Far infrared saunas

Scientists are still trying to understand why the far infrared spectrum has so many health benefits. This light spectrum is the subject of more clinical studies than the other infrared bands.

Rather than exciting mitochondrial enzymes, far infrared light (5.6-1000 µm) affects cell health by exciting water molecules. In addition to producing heat, far infrared can also increase mitochondrial function by structuring the water molecules that surround mitochondria.

Which sauna is the best?

The search is still ongoing. Most studies are done on traditional saunas and seem to indicate that heat is the primary benefit mechanism. At the same time, many companies claim that infrared saunas have additional benefits. But we are still waiting for studies to prove it. Infrared saunas are often much less expensive and easier to integrate into a home environment. This makes it a more reasonable option for most of us.

The health benefits of the sauna

1. Cardiovascular health and blood pressure

A review of all published scientific literature on saunas shows a strong trend towards coronary benefits. This includes the ability to help normalize blood pressure and reduce the risk of congestive heart failure. In fact, a review of Harvard data showed a potential 40+% reduction in heart attack risk by using a sauna 4-7 times per week. And the benefits of the sauna have increased with increased use. In other words, the study showed that the more often and for longer periods of time a person uses a sauna, the more benefits they receive and on average, the longer they live.

Thermal conditioning or sauna use is similar in many ways to cardiovascular exercise. The cardiovascular system has to work harder to remove the heat. In addition to increasing blood flow, sweating and cardiovascular fitness, it leads to a post-exercise euphoria where you feel relaxed, happy and experience less pain.

2. Sweating and detoxification

Increased circulation and sweating can help with detoxification. In this way sauna therapy helps the body's natural detoxification process through sweating.

There is also evidence that sweating can help reduce heavy metals in the body. A systematic review in 2012 found that toxic heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury are found in the sweat of people who are exposed to these dangerous metals. In one report, they found that mercury levels normalized following repeated treatments in saunas. These benefits of the sauna are probably due to sweating and not to any special mechanism of the sauna itself.

3. Pain relief and muscle recovery

Saunas increase heat shock proteins, antioxidant enzymes and stimulate cellular cleansing (autophagy). This can help our cells function like new. In aging mice, increased heat shock proteins help delay aging and improve cognitive function.

Sauna bathing can also increase several anti-aging hormones, including human growth hormones.

Many heat shock proteins can even help increase muscle mass, even without strength training. Through photobiomodulation, infrared therapy has a powerful anti-inflammatory effect that can accelerate the healing of wounds.

That's why many stars, including Lady Gaga, turn to saunas for pain relief.

4. Mood and cognitive function

Like running, sauna use increases endorphins (the happy hormone) and opiates (the body's natural painkiller), as well as a molecule called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the brain.

BDNF stimulates neurogenesis in the brain and protects new neurons from damage. Improving BDNF levels is therefore important for cognitive function. In addition, low or abnormal levels of BDNF may be the cause of several mental and psychiatric diseases.

Infrared saunas can also reduce stress by rebalancing the stress response axis. They can help lower cortisol and, therefore, treat stress-related health problems. Saunas also enhance the neurotransmitter called norepinephrine, which can help improve cognitive performance.

5. Weight loss and metabolic health

Contrary to popular belief, heat and sauna use do not directly burn fat. However, saunas can help improve insulin sensitivity, increase lean muscle mass and reduce fat by altering the hormonal environment. In addition, saunas also reduce inflammation. Therefore, therapeutic saunas can preventobesitythe diabetes And cardiovascular disease.

A Japanese study showed that two weeks of sauna therapy increased appetite and food intake in normal weight individuals. However, in overweight individuals, the use of far infrared sauna combined with a low-calorie diet resulted in significant weight and body fat loss. Although this study did not compare fat loss with a group that did not use the sauna, the reduction in body fat (4.5%) in about two weeks is considered very rapid.

6. Helps with inflammation

As mentioned above, sauna use can increase the presence of heat shock proteins, which are anti-inflammatory. For this reason, saunas can help reduce chronic inflammation. Since inflammation is linked to almost every major disease, this is a big deal!

Study participants who used saunas regularly showered at lower levels of oxidative stress, even in two weeks! Another study found that men who used the sauna 4-7 times per week had 32% lower c-reactive protein (CRP) levels.

7. Sleep

According to Dr. Michael Breus, a clinical psychologist certified in sleep medicine, the abrupt drop in body temperature at night is one of the circadian cues the body takes to say it's time to sleep. That's why a warm bath or shower before bed can improve the quality of sleep. Since the sauna generally heats the body much hotter than a hot shower, it can take a few hours to cool down before going to bed. To improve the quality of your sleep, consider using a sauna session in the afternoon or before dinner to allow the body to cool down before bedtime.

A Japanese study also showed that exposure to far infrared rays improved the quality of sleep in human subjects with insomnia.

8. Skin health

In order to eliminate heat, your body increases blood flow to the skin. In addition, the skin adapts to this process, making it healthier. A German study found that the skin of regular sauna users could retain moisture better. In addition, these sauna users had less sebum on their foreheads. This suggests that they were less likely to have acne.

Skin problems like eczema and psoriasis involve both inflammation and vulnerability of the skin barrier. By helping to strengthen the skin barrier and reduce overall inflammation, the infrared sauna can really solve these skin problems.

Sources

1. Alster, TS and Tanzi, EL (2005). Anti-cellulite treatment using a new combination of radiofrequency, infrared light and mechanical tissue manipulation device. Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy: official publication of the European Society of Laser Dermatology, 7 (2), 81-85 .

2. Autry, AE and Monteggia, LM (2012). Brain-derived neurotrophic factor and neuropsychiatric disorders. Pharmacological Reviews, 64 (2), 238-258. Doi: 10.1124 / pr.111.005108 . Benefits of the sauna

3. D. Barolet, F. Christiaens, and MR Hamblin (2016). Infrared and skin: friend or foe. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology.B, Biology, 155, 78-85. doi: 10.1016 / j.jphotobiol.2015.12.014. Benefits of the sauna

4. Battle Creek Enquirer. (1916, Sunday, January 6). Battle creek invention used worldwide: a bath cabinet with electric light found in the most remote corners of the earth, designed by dr. JH kellogg.Battle Creek Enquirer. Benefits of the sauna