Transcript Are Saunas Good for You?

Are Saunas
Good for
You?
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.
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.
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
you’re 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.

Detoxification
Many now associate a “detox” as a healthkick 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%.
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.

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.
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.
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.
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 60°C FIR
sauna, patients saw a decrease in oxidative
stress decreased ventricular arrhythmias
(abnormal heart rhythms) and improved
vascular endothelial function.
The same Japanese research team proved
the therapy’s 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.
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.

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.
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).
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 55°C 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.
A
12-week
therapy
combining
underwater exercise and sauna therapy
on patients with FMS found reductions in
pain and symptoms of 31–77%, which
remained stable after a six month followup period (28–68%).

Electromagnetic Field Exposure
Concerns over exposure to EMF were
first raised in 1970’s 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.
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.
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.
Some earlier models of Infrared Saunas
have recorded levels of 25 mG but better
technology in today’s FIR saunas have
much lower readings of 0.05-1 mG.

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.
Although there have been shown to me
some risks of EMF exposure with FIR
saunas, today’s models have recorded safe
levels of EMF exposure and pose no
health risk; justifying its therapeutic use.