The therapeutic benefit of saunas have long been recognized and enjoyed by many different cultures. The benefit of heat was noted by the father of Western medicine, Hippocrates, who is credited with saying, “give me a fever and I can cure any disease.” Saunas promote mind and body relaxation and healthy skin, but the purported benefits of infrared saunas are far more extensive. Ever since Dr. Oz wheeled an infrared sauna onto Oprah’s stage in 2009, claiming that it could help lower blood pressure, increase metabolism and circulation and help rid your body of toxins, all eyes have been on this particular type of sauna. Although the jury is still out on many of the purported beneficial effects of infrared saunas, research indicates that the benefits are indeed numerous.
Increased Circulation and Lower Temperatures
Infrared saunas use far infrared heaters to heat the body with the same rays that emanate from the sun minus any harmful UV radiation. According to Sherry A. Rogers, M.D., the rays produced by infrared heat are able to penetrate two to three inches into your skin, thereby increasing circulation and regenerating damaged and weak tissue. (See Reference 1)
Infrared saunas are designed to heat your body without heating the surrounding air. Creighton University School of Alterative Medicine explains that the body uses 80% of the heat generated by infrared saunas, a much more effective way to stimulate sweating than conventional saunas, which do not directly heat the body, but instead heat the surrounding air. (See reference 2) Traditional saunas are 180 degrees Fahrenheit to 220 degrees Fahrenheit, while infrared saunas function at significantly lower temperatures of 100 degrees Fahrenheit to 130 degrees Fahrenheit. These temperatures are much more tolerable and arguably safer and healthier for the body.
Cardiovascular Benefits
Preliminary research has indicated that infrared sauna therapy can help lower blood pressure and treat atherosclerosis and other causes of congestive heart failure. Endothelial (blood vessel) dysfunction is a primary cause of hypertension, diabetes and coronary artery disease. A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology in 2003 found that continued use of sauna therapy showed an improvement in vascular endothelial function and overall cardiovascular health. (See Reference 3)
Weight Management
Proponents of infrared sauna therapy cite weight loss as a primary benefit of saunas. When the body works to cool down blood flow to organs and the endocrine glands increases, thereby raising heart rate and metabolic rate. The increase in metabolism and heart rate is thought to burn as many as 600 calories in one 15-minute sauna session. Research has shown that fat becomes water soluble at 110 degrees Fahrenheit, which suggests that subcutaneous fat may be broken down and released. You sweat the same amount in a 20- to 30-minute infrared sauna as you do on a six-mile run. It is important to realize, however, that the weight you sweat off is merely water loss and will be regained as soon as you hydrate.
Detoxification
The heat from an infrared sauna triggers perspiration and opens the pores. Sauna enthusiasts believe that toxins that have built up in fat cells are released through the process of sweating. Chemicals, pesticides and noxious metals are eliminated through the skin and rinsed clean through sweating. There is, however, no scientific evidence to support this theory.
A 2008 Los Angeles Times article detailed the effectiveness of infrared saunas in removing toxins. Donald Smith, a professor of environmental toxicology at UC Santa Cruz, explained that sweating removes less than one percent of toxins and does not get rid of metals such as mercury or lead from the body. Dr. Dee Anna Glaser, a professor of dermatology at St. Louis University and founder of the International Hyperhidrosis Society, a medical group dedicated to the study and treatment of heavy sweating, also claims that sweating does not eliminate a significant level of toxins from the body. (See Reference 4)
References
- Roadtohealth.com: Far Infared Saunas
- Creighton University Medical Center: Infrared vs. High Heat
- Journal of the American College of Cardiology:Repeated sauna treatment improves vascular endothelial and cardiac function in patients with chronic heart failure
- Los Angeles Times: You Sweat, but Toxins Likely to Stay
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