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In an ageless society, we will do whatever it takes to look and feel younger. It is no secret that anti-aging essentials include a healthy diet, exercise and some good R&R. But did you know there is a tool that can enhance any anti-aging program to yield better results? A tool that can help you lose weight, lower blood pressure, enhance detoxification, and relieve pain. New science is proving that a simple, ancient method of cleansing the body has widespread positive effects on health. I’m talking about infrared heat therapy–specifically, infrared saunas.
Infrared heat therapy is a significantly underutilized treatment in medicine. However, with the growing movement to find more self-directed, more natural, less invasive ways to overcome health problems and lose weight, it’s becoming more popular among the American public. And that’s a good thing! As we will see in a moment, the science bears out the use of infrared heat as a treatment modality for a wide variety of health conditions.
Infrared saunas present an interesting and powerful opportunity for people to take advantage of the latest advances in heat therapy. These saunas, which can be installed in your home, use  infrared light instead of conventional heat to bring up your body temperature. The difference is important because infrared saunas can increase your core body temperature by 2-3 degrees– enough to improve the health results you achieve as compared to conventional saunas. Most infrared saunas on the market produce only far infrared. However, a new development in the field is full-spectrum infrared. Sauna manufacturer, Sunlighten, has discovered a way to produce all wavelengths of theinfrared spectrum–far (FIR), mid (MIR) and near (NIR). This is a significant development because each IR wavelength provides unique health benefits.
Not only does infrared therapy enhance the key essentials I mentioned previously, but it is also an effective means of prevention. Over the last decade science has finally caught up with what ancient societies have realized for millennia regarding the use of infrared heat therapy, and the evidence that’s surfacing about the benefits of regular use of infrared saunas is impressive.
Infrared saunas help you lose weight. When it comes to burning calories with infrared heat, Sunlighten saunas were clinically shown to dramatically aid in weight loss. Results from a 2009 study indicated that Sunlighten saunas are beneficial for lowering weight and waist circumference in just a 3-month period. And for those who are sedentary due to medical conditions such as osteoarthritis, cardiovascular or respiratory problems, results were even more profound.(i)
Infrared saunas enhance detoxification. We live in a sea of toxins as you know. Luckily there are steps we can take to more effectively remove these toxins, and the use of IR saunas is one powerful method for doing so. The Environmental Protection Agency has shown that sauna  therapy increases excretion of heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium) and fat-soluble chemicals like PCBs, PBBs, and HCBs. In fact, toxins stored in fat can prevent you from effectively losing weight. I’ve seen this time and again in my practice: People try everything to lose weight and get healthy, but it isn’t until they detoxify their bodies that they can truly heal.
Infrared saunas reduce blood pressure. Several studies have shown that IR sauna therapy lowers blood pressure significantly. In one study done by the University of Missouri, Kansas City subjects were randomly assigned to either aSolocarbon infrared sauna or a conventional sauna. Systolic blood pressure decreased from an average of 130.5 to 124 in those that underwent IR sauna treatment. Those who were treated in a conventional sauna showed no statistical improvement in blood pressure.(ii)
Infrared saunas reduce complications and improve cardiac performance in heart disease patients. In addition to lowering blood pressure, IR saunas also improve heart rate variability (HRV)-one of the key indicators of heart health. Normally, there is a subtle variability between heartbeats. When there is more variability in the beat-to-beat rhythm, your heart and nervous system are healthier. The least healthy heart rhythm has the least variability-a flat line. However, when the autonomic nervous system is in chronic stress mode, the heartbeat becomes less variable. Infrared saunas relax the body and mind, reduce autonomic nervous stimulation, and thus improve HRV. There is an IR sauna on the market, the mPulse Series from Sunlighten, with built in biofeedback capabilities for monitoring heart rate during a sauna session.
Infrared saunas support cell health, muscle recovery & immunity. Improved HRV helps cleanse the circulatory system and more fully oxygenate the body’s cells which will support cell  health, muscle recovery and the immune system. Several studies have shown that NIR produced from LEDs (like those found inSunlighten’s technology) stimulate white blood cell production and collagen growth by increasing energy at the cellular level. A NASA study showed NIR delivered by LEDs deep into body tissue, can quadruple cell health and tissue growth.(iii) Another study done at the Medical College of Wisconsin demonstrated that LED-produced NIR helps promote cell health and regeneration.(iv) Lastly, a study from The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology concluded that LED NIR restores enzyme activity and reduces cell death by half.(iv)
Infrared saunas improve brain function. As I point out in The UltraMind Solution, the health and resilience of your brain function are directly related to the complexity and variability of your heart rate. What is good for your heart is good for you brain. And since IR saunas increase the variability and health of your nervous system, that means they are a great way to improve brain function. Interestingly, one study has also shown that IR saunas can actually improve the function of neurons that have been damaged by toxins.v This is to say nothing of the relaxing effects noted above, the improvement sauna has on autonomic nervous function, and the overall increased sense of peace and well-being you experience when regularly taking saunas.
In addition to the benefits above, infrared saunas have also been shown to help with relaxation, reduce joint pain, improve your skin, and more. It’s a treatment I highly recommend and one I prescribe to patients often. I suggest you consider regular sauna therapy as well.
It is not hard to find a day spa that offers infrared sauna sessions. However, to get the maximum benefits received with regular use, I recommend adding an infrared sauna to your home. This is an easy addition as most come in pre-fabricated kits that are ready to assemble and plug in, have low energy consumption and are virtually maintenance free. I recommend Sunlighten saunas. They are high-quality, full spectrum infrared saunas and their customer service team specializes in helping you locate the best sauna for your needs.Sunlighten has agreed to offer my readers a sauna discount! Contact them at 877-292-0020 and mention promo code HYMAN.
Whether you are overweight, suffering from chronic illness, burdened by constant stress, or you simply want to optimize your body and protect your health for the long term, infrared saunas are an excellent way to do it.
To your good health,
Mark Hyman, MD
References
(i) Dr. Richard Beever BSc, MD, CCFP. Do Far-Infrared Saunas have Measurable Health Benefits? A Sequential Longitudinal Interrupted Time Series Design Study. 2009. Dr. Richard Beever BSc, MD, CCFP. Do Far-Infrared Saunas have Cardiovascular Benefits in People with Type 2 Diabetes? Canadian Journal of Diabetes 2010; 34 (2) :113-118.
(ii) Edwards, B., Kort, H., and John Foxworthy. A study of the healthy benefits of far-infared sauna therapy. University of Missouri, Kansas City.
(iii) Harry T. Whelan, Ellen V. Buchmann, Noel T. Whelan, Scott G. Turner, Vita Cevenini, Helen Stinson, Ron Ignatius, Todd Martin, Joan Cwiklinski, Glenn A. Meyer, Brian Hodgson Lisa Gould, Mary Kane, Gina Chen , James Caviness. NASA Light Emitting Diode Medical Applications From Deep Space to Deep Sea. CP552, Space Technology and Applications International Forum-2001, edited by M. S. El-Genk. Copyright 2001 American Institute of Physics 1-56396-980-7/01.
(iv) Margaret T.T.Wong-Riley, Huan Ling Liang, Janis T. Eells, Britton Chance, Michele M. Henry, Ellen Buchmann, Mary Kane, and Harry T. Whelan. Photobiomodulation Directly Benefits Primary Neurons Functionally Inactivated by Toxins: Role of Cytochrome C Oxidase. JBC Papers in Press. Published on November 22, 2004 as Manuscript M409650200. Copyright 2004 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.
(v) Wong-Riley, M.T., Liang H.L., Eells J.T. et al. 2005. Photobiomodulation directly benefits primary neurons functionally inactivated by toxins: Role of cytochrome c oxidase. J Biol Chem. 280(6):4761-71. |
