On the face of it, spending any amount of time in a small, 80°C (176°F) room might sound thoroughly unenjoyable – but many people do it willingly on a regular basis. How? Visiting saunas, which are a regular part of life in countries like Finland but have recently shot up in popularity elsewhere too. That might be in part because of their apparent health benefits, but how true are these claims?
Do saunas have any health benefits?
Dementia
Recent years have seen headlines purporting the apparent benefits of saunas for the brain, particularly when it comes to preventing Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. Why? It may well be due to two studies, one from 2016 and the other from 2020, that suggest a link between frequent sauna use and a lower risk of dementia.
The earlier study used data that followed over 2,000 healthy Finnish adult males for an average of roughly 20 years, who had to fill out a questionnaire about their typical weekly sauna use, including frequency, duration, and temperature.
The second study was similar, but larger; it followed nearly 14,000 Finnish men and women over 39 years and their typical sauna activity in a month. Both studies identified whether or not participants went on to get diagnosed with dementia.
In both cases, the studies concluded that frequent sauna use could potentially reduce the risk of developing dementia, even when taking into account other risk factors for the condition. The 2016 study found, for example, that sauna bathing four to seven times a week was associated with a 66 percent reduced risk of Alzheimer’s, compared to only having one session per week.
Though not going so far as to define exactly how this might work, the researchers suggest it could involve a reduction in blood pressure or the activation of protective heat shock proteins.
It all sounds promising, but the two studies should be interpreted with caution. For example, the questionnaire about typical sauna use was only filled out once – people’s habits may well have changed over the years.
And unlike clinical trials, where researchers intervene – in this case, they’d be splitting people into groups and getting them to use saunas differently – both studies are observational.
This means there was no intervention, and they weren’t carried out with the purpose of proving that sauna use affects dementia risk. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a potential link, but neither study proves it – more research would be needed to do so.
Cardiovascular health
The same group of researchers from the 2016 study on dementia also followed the same group of Finnish males for their cardiovascular (heart and blood vessels) health. In a separate paper on this subject, they found that more frequent use of saunas could be linked to a “considerable decreased risk” of sudden cardiac death, fatal coronary heart disease, and fatal cardiovascular disease.
That being said, the problems with the study are the same as before; clinical trials would be required to provide solid evidence of a link and figure out exactly how risk reduction works. The researchers also caution that their findings should be treated with care by people with certain cardiovascular conditions; saunas can reduce blood pressure, which is more than a bit dangerous for people whose blood pressure is already low.
Sauna bathing alone might not be the answer anyway – another way of improving cardiovascular health is regular exercise, which a more recent, small study suggests could be beneficial when combined with sauna use.
Mental health
One area that might seem to benefit from getting our sauna on is our mental health, and according to the Global Sauna Survey, which had 482 valid responses, that seems to be the case. For example, 83.5 percent of all those surveyed reported having better sleep after sauna use, and those respondents who reported using saunas between five and 15 times a month had slightly higher wellbeing scores compared to less frequent users.
Then again, the most cited motivation for using a sauna was relaxation and stress reduction; the act of simply setting aside that time for that specific purpose may well have helped. Add to that the fact the survey was conducted online in a non-random group of people, and only represented 29 countries – with all apart from Finland, Australia, and the US making up less than five percent of participants each – and the results can’t necessarily be considered reliable or be applied to everyone.
Do saunas have any health risks?
Even if saunas were found to have health benefits in abundance, using them does still carry some risks. That’s because, well, they’re hot – and getting that bit too hot can be a problem for the body.
One of the main risks from the sweltering temperatures is dehydration, thanks to the hefty amount of sweat produced by the body in response to that heat (and before you think it, no, you don’t “detox” via sweat – that’s what your liver and kidneys are for). If that fluid isn’t replenished, then the body can’t function normally, and you can wind up with headaches, low blood pressure, and tiredness.
Some have also expressed concern about the effect of saunas on fertility in males, after a study of 10 healthy males found reduced sperm count and motility after 3 months of two sauna sessions per week. However, it should be noted that a) it’s a small study, so further research is needed to validate it and b) a lower sperm count may not necessarily harm your fertility.
How to stay sauna safe
Regardless of whether they have health-related superpowers, people clearly still enjoy using saunas – it’s just important to do so safely. The general tips for avoiding the riskier elements of a sauna include:
- Avoid alcohol – that can increase the risk of dehydration
- Don’t stay in for longer than 15-20 minutes
- Take your time cooling down afterwards
- Drink plenty of water after you’re out – around two to four glasses’ worth
- Don’t use if you’re ill
All “explainer” articles are confirmed by fact checkers to be correct at time of publishing. Text, images, and links may be edited, removed, or added to at a later date to keep information current.
The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
Source Link: Saunas: Great For Health Or Just A Lot Of Hot Air?
