There’s no denying the benefits you can get from bathing in a sauna. After all, there’s nothing more refreshing than taking a deep and healthy sweat every single day.
With technological advances nowadays, newer and better versions of a home sauna are being introduced. One of them is the infrared sauna. According to some, the best infrared saunas are incredible toxin removers, and as such, they’re capable of removing any harmful toxins within your body. But how exactly can they do that?
How infrared saunas work
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Compared to a traditional steam sauna that uses heat, an infrared sauna uses light for heating up your body. Most of the infrared saunas on the market use far-infrared light, although there are some models that use near-infrared light and mid-infrared light as well.
A mid-infrared light is capable of penetrating deeper into your soft tissues where inflammations are present, and in some cases, may even speed up their recovery. A near-infrared light can help improve cellular function and wound healing. Meanwhile, far-infrared light penetrates deep into the body to where toxins are stored, thereby eliminating them.
Since infrared saunas use light, they can provide you with the same benefits of a traditional sauna but in a cooler temperature ranging from 120 to 140 Fahrenheit.
Can they really remove toxins?
A lot of people believe that sweating inside a sauna can help release toxins and any other impurities from their body. One of the theories supporting this is that fever is one of the ways the body uses to get rid of toxins, and by bathing in a sauna, you’re creating a self-induced fever. However, this theory may sound rather simplistic.
The primary detoxifying organs in the body are the liver and kidneys. Your body sweats in an attempt to cool its internal temperature. According to analysis, sweat is basically a mixture of water with a little bit of salt. There are no exceptions regarding sweat that’s been caused by bathing in a traditional sauna. Studies have shown that sweat from a sauna is basically 95-97% water and the rest is salt. To put simply, there are no toxins found.
The reason why you experience a light and comfortable feeling after you sweat from bathing in a sauna is because your body produces endorphins. It doesn’t mean you’re releasing toxins. However, this might not be the case when we’re talking about infrared saunas.
The Environmental Protection Agency stated that due to us being natural bio-accumulators, it’s not a surprise that our body harbors a number of dangerous toxins including mycotoxins and pesticides. These toxins are stored within our fatty tissues including the blood plasma and liver. If left unattended, it can lead to a lot of diseases such as arthritis, cardiovascular diseases, fibromyalgia, autism, and more.
Although analysis has shown that sweat is made of mostly water and salt, research found out that around 15-20% of sweat produced from bathing in an infrared sauna is made of heavy metals, ammonia, fat-soluble toxins, cholesterol, and sulfuric acid. It only goes to show that bathing in an infrared sauna might be able to get rid of environmental toxins via sweating.
Some other benefits of saunas
Aside from their detoxifying properties, an infrared sauna can also provide you with the following benefits:
- Temporary pain relief due to the release and production of beta endorphins and norepinephrine.
- Improved weight loss by speeding up your metabolism and burning around 300-600 calories per session.
- Enhances blood circulation by expanding your blood vessels, thereby allowing an increased blood flow. This can also lead to a reduced risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.
- Improves your heart rate variability by relaxing your mind and body.
- Maintains a healthy looking skin by stimulating blood circulation, which in turn, can boost collagen production.
- Supports your kidney function by releasing the toxins inside them. In fact, some doctors even suggest the use of infrared saunas for their patients who are undergoing dialysis.
- Lowers both diastolic and systolic blood pressure. This has been confirmed by a number of studies centered around the use of an infrared
Conclusion
By enjoying at least 20 minutes of sauna session everyday, you will surely feel amazing right after bathing in a sauna. However, if you want to remove those harmful toxins, make sure you use an infrared sauna instead of an outdoor sauna or a portable sauna.
There are also some studies that have shown the capabilities of a sauna in removing toxins in fat tissues which can prevent weight loss. These include fat-soluble chemicals such as HCBs and PBBs as well as heavy metals.
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