Reduce Your Blood Sugar, Blood Pressure & Cholesterol With An Infrared Sauna
One of the many benefits of infrared sauna is how it improves circulation, circulatory diseases and overall cardiovascular health, e.g. in conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol levels. These are very serious health conditions, and unfortunately, very common in our country.
This blog post is one of eight blog posts I have written for you to help you “Discover the Power of Healing With An Infrared Sauna.” I hope you will visit this link to learn about the many other health benefits of including infrared sauna bathing in your lifestyle.
Click to Purchase a Sunlighten Sauna Package
Infrared Sauna Therapy is An Investment in Your Health
Because infrared heat is absorbed deep within tissue layers, it causes the blood vessels to expand or dilate. This improves local blood circulation and increases our metabolic rate. As a result, this enhances blood flow to the peripheral vessels, thereby enriching vital oxygen delivery to organs, joints and extremities. Consequently, we get an improvement in the healing of sprains and strains, a relief of pain and overall decrease in the recovery time from an injury.
Because of this improved circulation, the body absorbs nutrition, medications, nutraceuticals and other supplements better. Conditions that cause poor circulation, e.g. diabetes, high blood pressure, can thus benefit from the improvement of circulation through the use of far infrared (FIR) heat therapy. Positive effects are reported for glucose metabolism and its effects on sensitizing the tissue for the insulin-dependent glucose uptake. Through hyperthermia and elevated blood supply to the periphery of the body, diabetic complications can be counteracted. Improved quality of life in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus was also associated with the use of FIR sauna, according to a study by Beever (2). In another study, whole body hyperthermia treated mice showed a significant decrease in fasting blood glucose level compared with untreated mice. The whole body hyperthermia also led to an increase in insulin sensitivity in these diabetic mice (16).
Regular sauna bathing may also lower serum cholesterol and its proportion in low-density lipoprotein (9). Dean (3) reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that regular use in a sauna may in part similar stress on the cardiovascular system and regular use can be as effective as a means of cardiovascular conditioning and burning calories as regular exercise.
Click to Purchase a Sunlighten Sauna Package
Infrared Sauna Therapy is An Investment in Your Health
In a large Finnish prospective cohort study of 2314 middle-aged men (18), it was discovered that frequent sauna users were 50% less likely to die from cardiovascular-related causes. They found that increased frequency of sauna bathing is associated with a reduced risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD), fatal coronary heart disease (CHD), and cardiovascular disease (CVD), and all-cause mortality. Additionally, in this same Finnish Kupio Ischemic Heart Disease prospective study, another cohort of 1628 adult men and women, aged 53-74 years of age without a known history of stroke, were studied for the association between frequency of sauna bathing and risk of future stroke. This long-term follow-up study showed that middle-aged to elderly men and women who take frequent sauna baths have a substantially reduced risk of new-onset stroke (17). Interestingly, in Finland, saunas are a way of life. Nearly 2 million Finnish own saunas in a country of 5 million. It’s considered a poor man’s pharmacy.
It was also discovered that repeated infrared treatments improved impaired vascular endothelial function (lining of the blood vessels) in the setting of coronary risk factors among 25 men in Japan who had FIR sauna treatments for 15 minutes a day for 2 weeks. Results showed a significant lowering of blood pressure, blood sugar, blood cholesterol, triglycerides and increased blood flow and weight loss (10).
Additionally, regular sauna bathing is associated with reduced risk of hypertension, which may be a mechanism underlying the decreased cardiovascular risk associated with sauna use (33). But, during the heat exposure, there may be a progressive increase in both the systolic and diastolic blood pressures and heart rate, that after the sauna treatment, decreases to lower values compared to baseline. This increase in blood pressure and heart rate leads to an increase in myocardial oxygen consumption. Thus, the cardiac load during the sauna use corresponds to a moderate physical load of 60-100 watts of activity, similar to a sub maximal dynamic exercise testing (15). A consistent exercise program results in a reduction in blood pressure and heart rate, long-term.
Click to Purchase a Sunlighten Sauna Package
Infrared Sauna Therapy is An Investment in Your Health
Not all Infrared Technology is Equal
Sunlighten’s far infrared technology, Solocarbon®, is the only infrared sauna heater on the market clinically shown to raise core temperature nearly 3 degrees. What does this mean for your health? You will experience the most detoxifying sweat, lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure and aid in weight loss through waistline reduction.
The most advanced infrared therapy available is Solocarbon 3-in-1 infrared treatments. The infrared spectrum consists of near (NIR), mid (MIR), and far (FIR) waves, each with distinct characteristics and health benefits. Sunlighten offers all three peak wavelengths for the maximum therapeutic results.
Things to Look for In a Sauna:
Infrared sauna is the best way to get that “river of sweat” comfortably. It’s crucial that you sweat to get the benefits. If you don’t sweat, it is not the right sauna, and if it is too miserable for you to sweat, you won’t want to do it. Infrared heat gets you to that “river of sweat” without you being uncomfortable.
Problems with other type of saunas are:
- Heats the room and skin
- Hard to breathe (steam)
- Can create mold/grow bacteria
You will want to use a sauna that is low in radiation and has “full spectrum,” not just NEAR, and not just FAR infrared. You will also want the sauna to reach a therapeutic heat of over 160 degrees. That’s because it is at this temperature that the “river of sweat” is produced, where core body temperature is raised, where the production of heat shock proteins are produced and where the immune response is mobilized.
Infrared Protocols:
Use daily for a minimum of 30-45 minutes at 120-125 degree F for the first two weeks, then 125-135 degree F for the next two weeks.
Drink 8-16 ounces of water before and after each sauna session. Once a week add a few drops of trace minerals to your water supply.
Click to Purchase a Sunlighten Sauna Package
Infrared Sauna Therapy is An Investment in Your Health!