Are Saunas Good for You?

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Are Saunas Good for You?
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• Saunas have been a standard inclusion at the
  local gym or health club for a number of years
  and are ubiquitous in similar forms all over the
  world. Originating in Finland, the sauna has long
  been famed for its health benefits in Northern
  and Eastern Europe, Asia and the Americas.

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• The modern sauna, however, has changed
  significantly from the steam-heated cabins of
  old. Saunas emitting Far Infrared (FIR) light as
  radiant heat are now known for various health
  benefits and have become a popular alternative.
  With repeated exposure to anything electrical
  however, comes the fear of health risks brought
  on by Electromagnetic Field (EMF) exposure. This
  literature review will assess the health benefits
  and risks of treatments with traditional and FIR
  saunas.

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• Editors Note We recently commissioned a writer
  to conduct a literature review of the published
  studies on saunas. We must make it clear that
  Sunlighten do not provide medical advice and you
  should speak with your health practitioner if
  youre unsure a sauna is right for you. The
  following literature review was independently
  compiled, and we thought some of you would enjoy
  reading the findings of academic research in this
  field.

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• Detoxification
• Many now associate a detox as a health-kick to
  look and feel good after a period of
  overindulgence. For those who work in
  environments with health hazards however,
  cleansing the body of harmful chemicals is almost
  a necessity. One study conducting a three week
  program on ten electrical workers, with 5-10 half
  hour sauna sessions, saw a mean drop of
  pesticides in adipose tissue of 21.2.

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• Another study on 69 police officers in Utah who
  had exposure to methamphetamine and related
  chemical compounds were subjected to a 4-6 week
  treatment of exercise, nutritional
  supplementation (increasing doses of vitamin B3)
  and four hours of daily sauna therapy.
  Significant health improvements were seen after
  treatment including decreased neurotoxicity
  levels.

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• Cardiovascular Benefits
• The science behind what makes bathing in a sauna
  good for the body goes beyond simply sweating it
  all out during detoxification. The
  cardiovascular system responds to the thermal
  stress brought on by saunas by increasing the
  heart rate and peripheral circulation as well as
  the metabolic rate and O2 consumption. One study
  found this to be similar to the effect of
  moderate exercise , making saunas a suitable
  option for those living in climates with limited
  opportunity to exercise.

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• Although an elevated heart-rate presents a
  health risk for those with a heart condition,
  saunas have only resulted in sudden death in
  extremely rare cases. One study found 1.7 of the
  6,175 sudden deaths in Finland occurred within 24
  hours of taking a sauna. People who have suffered
  a Myocardial Infarction (MI) should also not be
  worried. Two studies found participants suffering
  virtually no adverse side-effects from sitting in
  a sauna after having an MI, observed over the
  short and long term.

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• Saunas have also been shown to beneficial for
  those with high blood pressure, or hypertension.
  Among hypertensive men, a 7-8 increase in
  ventricular ejection fraction was experienced
  once undertaking sauna therapy as well as a
  decrease in blood pressure shown in two studies ,
  one with a significant reduction from an average
  of 166/101 mm Hg to 143/92 mm Hg.

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• Saunas utilising FIR have been particularly
  effective for treating congestive heart failure
  (CHF). During multiple studies on what is known
  as Waon therapy, two to four weeks of sessions in
  a 60C FIR sauna, patients saw a decrease in
  oxidative stress decreased ventricular
  arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms) and improved
  vascular endothelial function.

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• The same Japanese research team proved the
  therapys effectiveness on improving the overall
  prognosis of CHF in a larger study and saw an
  improvement in cardiac function, exercise
  tolerance and quality of life (QOL) in patients
  with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

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• Living with Type II Mellitus Diabetes is often
  associated with poor health outcomes such as high
  blood pressure, high cholesterol and excess
  weight. The improved cardiovascular health seen
  from FIR sauna therapy then presents an
  opportunity to better the QOL of those with Type
  II Diabetes. Two studies saw the benefits from
  FIR saunas as lowering blood pressure and waist
  circumference and improving stress and fatigue
  levels, making the treatment beneficial for
  improving QOL in Type II DIabetes patients.

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• Other Physiological Benefits
• Those suffering with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
  (CFS) can have their lifestyle affected
  significantly. Chronic pain, disrupted sleep,
  hormonal imbalances, allergies, gastrointestinal
  complications, neurocognitive problems and
  extreme weight change are all common symptoms of
  CFS.

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• Three studies by Japanese researchers found
  thermal therapy with FIR saunas improved fatigue,
  sleep and pain as well as their appetite and
  emotional state and resulted in a higher rate of
  returning to work (82 in the thermal therapy
  group vs. 58 in the non-thermal therapy group).

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• Other conditions associated with chronic pain
  such as Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS), Rheumatoid
  Arthritis (RA) and Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS)
  have also been found to be treated with FIR
  saunas. One study conducting four weeks of eight
  sessions in a 55C Infrared sauna saw a reduction
  in pain of approximately 40 and 60 for patients
  with RA and approximately 50 and 60 less
  stiffness for patients with AS.

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• A 12-week therapy combining underwater exercise
  and sauna therapy on patients with FMS found
  reductions in pain and symptoms of 3177, which
  remained stable after a six month follow-up
  period (2868).

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• Electromagnetic Field Exposure
• Concerns over exposure to EMF were first raised
  in 1970s when early research indicated a
  statistical association between EMF exposure and
  some types of cancers and childhood leukaemia.
  The International Electromagnetic Fields Project
  was established by the World Health Organisation
  (WHO) in 1996 to investigate the true health
  risks of exposure to EMF.

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• Appliances such as FIR saunas come under the
  category of Extremely Low Frequency (ELF)
  electric fields, measured as 0 to 100,000 Hz (100
  kHz). Most electric power lines run at 50 or 60
  Hz , which presents a risk ratio (RR) of 1.5-2
  (tobacco smoking had a RR of more than 10). One
  piece of research suggested radiant heating
  appliances such as FIR saunas would also emit
  frequency levels of around 50-60 Hz.

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• A Task Group of scientific experts established
  by WHO in 2005 concluded that there are no
  substantive health issues related to ELF at
  levels generally encountered by members of the
  public. EMF can also be measured as a Gauss.
  Although the Australian National Health and
  Medical Research Council recommend no more than
  1,000 mG of exposure for members of the public
  (24 hour exposure) , Sweden has a benchmark of 3
  mG.

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• Some earlier models of Infrared Saunas have
  recorded levels of 25 mG but better technology in
  todays FIR saunas have much lower readings of
  0.05-1 mG.

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• Conclusion
• Saunas in varying models have been shown to have
  various health benefits. The overall effect of
  being subjected to thermal stress can improve
  cardiovascular health and help treat chronic
  conditions such as CFS, FMS, RA and AS. Using
  sauna therapy for detoxification can also be
  highly effective for improving the QOL of workers
  subjected to hazardous environmental conditions.

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• Although there have been shown to me some risks
  of EMF exposure with FIR saunas, todays models
  have recorded safe levels of EMF exposure and
  pose no health risk justifying its therapeutic
  use.