The Case For Sauna Bathing Is Stronger Than Ever

A new research review has plenty of good news for people who love a good sauna session: Studies overwhelmingly suggest that the relaxing habit is also a healthy one. A paper published Wednesday in Mayo Clinic Proceedings gathered existing findings on Finnish sauna bathing, the practice of spending time in relatively dry rooms heated to between 80 and 100 degrees, interspersed with periods of cooling. The results were culled from more than 70 studies published up through February 2018. Overall, the research suggests that “sauna bathing, an activity used for the purposes of pleasure, wellness, and relaxation, is linked to a remarkable array of health benefits,” the authors conclude. Here are a few. Saunas may improve vascular health Research suggests that saunas can improve vascular health in a variety of ways, from lowering blood pressure and risk factors for hypertension to reducing bathers’ likelihood of fatal heart disease, stroke and neurological decline. Some studies included in the review did not account for things like reverse causation — the notion that healthier people may be more likely to use saunas, as opposed to saunas making people healthier — but more recent research has suggested that spending time in the sauna can directly affect your blood pressure, vascular function, oxidative stress, inflammation levels and more, according to the paper. In fact, some researchers have drawn comparisons between the benefits drawn from sauna bath...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized healthytime onetime Research Source Type: news