sauna_in_pancevo

Frequent Sauna Bathing May Lower Your Risk of Heart-Related Death

Saunas have a longstanding tradition of use. They’re common to many Eastern European countries, as well as Asia. In some countries, such as Finland, you can find them in nearly every home.

Far from being just another way to get squeaky clean, saunas may have a number of additional health benefits. According to an observational study from Finland, frequent sauna goers are less likely to die from heart-related events.

While the cause for such benefits could not be ascertained in this study, there may be a number of potential mechanisms that can provide a significant health boost.

March 13, 2015 | Source: Mercola.com | by Dr. Mercola

Saunas have a longstanding tradition of use. They’re common to many Eastern European countries, as well as Asia. In some countries, such as Finland, you can find them in nearly every home.

Far from being just another way to get squeaky clean, saunas may have a number of additional health benefits. According to an observational study from Finland, frequent sauna goers are less likely to die from heart-related events.

While the cause for such benefits could not be ascertained in this study, there may be a number of potential mechanisms that can provide a significant health boost.

For starters, saunas help you detoxify, and in today’s polluted world, that can be really important for your health. It also helps improve blood circulation, and tends to relieve stress and promote relaxation, all of which may translate into better health.

Additionally, sauna therapy places stress on your heart and body that is similar to exercise, which may also account for some of its apparent benefits.

Daily Sauna Decreases Risk of Cardiac Death

The featured study1,2,3,4 included more than 2,300 middle-aged men in eastern Finland, who were followed for about two decades. The frequency of sauna use, and length of time spent in the sauna, correlated with a lowered risk for lethal cardiovascular events.

Sauna use was also associated with a reduced risk of death from any cause, and the more they used the sauna, the better. Men who used the sauna seven times per week cut their risk of death from fatal heart problems in half, compared to those who only used it once each week:

        10 percent of those who used the sauna just once per week suffered sudden cardiac death during the study
        Eight percent of those who used the sauna two or three times week died in cardiac-related events, and
        Only five percent of daily sauna goers suffered a lethal cardiac event

These findings remained stable even when confounding factors such as smoking, blood pressure, cholesterol- and triglyceride levels were factored in. With regards to time, the greatest benefits were found among those who sweated it out for 19 minutes or more each session. As reported by Reuters:5

“About 1,500 men reported using a sauna two or three times per week, 600 said they used the sauna once per week and 200 said they visited the sauna four to seven days of the week. Only 12 men reported not using a sauna at all.

Duration ranged from two to 90 minutes at a time, and the temperature ranged from 40 to 100 degrees Celsius, or 104 to 212 degrees Fahrenheit, traditionally at low humidity levels…

‘There was an inverse relationship between sauna and (cardiovascular disease) risk, meaning that more is better,’ Laukkanen told Reuters…

“On the basis of these results, it seems that more than four sauna sessions per week had the lowest risk, but also those with two to three sauna sessions may get some benefits.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roPVjNFalEI