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FIR Sauna: Health Risks and Benefits

far infrared sauna health detox autism

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#1 StotheG

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Posted 10 May 2015 - 04:56 AM


FIR saunas seem to have a great deal of promise in helping to promote cardiovascular health and the only way to effectively detox us of chemicals. It is also know that they are able to detox heavy metals. I wonder, though, if FIR also carries risks. I think the use of this technology is very limited. BAsed on my studies, I have not been able to find ones that conclusively provide answer against the arguments that these would increase chances of cancer and dna damage. I'd be very interested to know if any one on the forum has done research on FIR and what are your thoughts on its safety? 

 

My interest in the area is more than just academic. I have a young son with autism. He has tested very high for heavy metals by provocation test, urinary porphyrins, and hair test. He is being chelated according to the AC protocol. Still, we're not getting the metal count down very well or very quickly. I think that FIR sauna would help to accelerate that process, but I don't want to do something if its only to increase the potential health problems he would face down the road. Any and all thoughts on this topic would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

 



#2 Kalliste

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Posted 10 May 2015 - 07:51 AM

Well cold and hot seems like a way to increase endogenous production of HSP, which is probably good. The cancer risk seems to decrease rather than increase when you do things like cryo or heat therapy in moderation.

 

There are a lot of supplements that augment chelation, curcumin being the one I know best and the one where you can find a variety of products formulated for high absorption, or do what I usually do and just add lots of curcumin powder, curry powder and fresh turmeric roots to the food.

 

Have you looked at the diet? Some dietary sources are high in metals, do you have your own well with water? That can be a real killer in some areas. Consider buying drinking water or a quality filtration unit.

 

 



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#3 niner

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Posted 10 May 2015 - 02:20 PM

I question the whole concept of a sauna "detoxing" chemicals or heavy metals.  What's the evidence for this?  It sounds like mythology-- saunas make you sweat, and you feel better afterward, therefore something bad must have come out in the sweat.   It's the sort of thing that a person who didn't have a good understanding of biology would come up with.  Now, maybe I'm wrong about it and there really is something that could be called "detoxing" going on, but without any real evidence, I'd bet that it's not real.

 

Kids in saunas are a possible problem.  Adults can deal with them, but kids are going to be more susceptible to hyperthermia and dehydration, just due to their size if nothing else.  They might hate it, too.  Sensory issues tend to run with autism.  I have a son who is on the spectrum, and I suspect that if I were to bring him into the sauna at my gym, he'd be out the door in a nanosecond. 


  • Ill informed x 2
  • Agree x 1

#4 zorba990

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Posted 10 May 2015 - 02:31 PM


Repeated thermal therapy improves impaired vascular endothelial function in patients with coronary risk factors
http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/11583886

CONCLUSIONS:
Repeated sauna treatment improves impaired vascular endothelial function in the setting of coronary risk factors, suggesting a therapeutic role for sauna treatment in patients with risk factors for atherosclerosis.
  • Informative x 1

#5 StotheG

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Posted 11 May 2015 - 05:42 AM

Thank you all for your opinions and input. There is a decent amount of data that shows that saunas can excrete a significant amount of metals. A few of the articles that I pulled up include: 

 

http://www.annclinla...7.full.pdf html

http://www.clinchem....1/1288.full.pdf

http://www.ncbi.nlm..../pubmed/3222694

http://www.ncbi.nlm....v/pubmed/686643

http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/22505948

 

I know that it is effective, just don't want to take additional risks from exposure to FIR. For the most part, I'm going to be very conservative in the amount and duration I do with my son. I agree that it is hardly the place most children would want to be. 

 

I've tested for ongoing environmental exposure a year ago, but since you've mentioned it, I think I'll run some additional tests just to make sure nothing has changed. 

 

Thanks for your comments and suggestions. 


  • Informative x 2

#6 platypus

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Posted 11 May 2015 - 10:13 AM

Here's a list of sauna-related references from a Finnish webpage: 

 

Beever R. Far-infrared saunas for treatment of cardiovascular risk factors: summary of published evidence. Can Fam Physician 2009; 55: 691–6.

Basford J R, Oh J K, Allison T G, Sheffield C G, Manahan B G, Hodge D O, Tajik A J, Rodeheffer R J, Tei C. Safety, acceptance, and physiologic effects of sauna bathing in people with chronic heart failure: a pilot report. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2009; 90: 173–7.

Blum N, Blum A. Beneficial effects of sauna bathing for heart failure patients. Exp Clin Cardiol. 2007; 12: 29–32.

Hannuksela M L, Ellahham S. Benefits and risks of sauna bathing. Am J Med 2001; 110: 118–26. Review.

Hannuksela M, Väänänen A. The sauna, skin and skin diseases. Ann Clin Res 1988; 20: 276–8.

Kowatzki D, Macholdt C, Krull K, Schmidt D, Deufel T, Elsner P, Fluhr JW. Effect of regular sauna on epidermal barrier function and stratum corneum water-holding capacity in vivo in humans: a controlled study. Dermatology 2008; 217: 173–80.

Matsushita K, Masuda A, Tei C. Efficacy of Waon therapy for fibromyalgia. Intern Med 2008; 47: 1473–6.

Oosterveld F G, Rasker J J, Floors M, Landkroon R, van Rennes B, Zwijnenberg J, van de Laar M A, Koel G J. Infrared sauna in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. A pilot study showing good tolerance, short-term improvement of pain and stiffness, and a trend towards long-term beneficial effects. Clin Rheumatol. 2009; 28: 29–34.

Pall ML. Do sauna therapy and exercise act by raising the availability of tetrahydrobiopterin? Med Hypotheses. 2009; 73: 610–3.

Pilch W, Szyguła Z, Klimek AT, Pałka T, Cisoń T, Pilch P, Torii M. Changes in the lipid profile of blood serum in women taking sauna baths of various duration. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2010; 23: 167–74.

Sohn IS, Cho JM, Kim WS, Kim CJ, Kim KS, Bae JH, Tei C. J Preliminary clinical experience with waon therapy in Korea: safety and effect. Cardiovasc Ultrasound. 2010; 18: 37–42.

Crinnion WJ. Sauna as a valuable clinical tool for cardiovascular, autoimmune, toxicant- induced and other chronic health problems. Altern Med Rev. 2011; 16: 215–25. Review.


  • Informative x 2

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#7 APBT

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Posted 11 May 2015 - 09:06 PM

While the following two videos don’t address the OP’s question directly, they do shed some light on the potential benefits of saunas.

 

Hyperthermic Conditioning for Hypertrophy, Endurance, and Neurogenesis: https://www.youtube....h?v=aHOlM-wlNjM

 

How Sauna Use May Boost Longevity:  https://www.youtube....h?v=eWKBsh7YTXQ
  • Agree x 1

#8 niner

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Posted 12 May 2015 - 02:53 AM

Thanks for the informative links, everyone.  My first inclination expressed in my post above was clearly wrong.  (I'm no longer "ill informed" on this particular point, but I guess the rating is there for all eternity...)  In some of the papers that StotheG posted, I saw that zinc was highly excreted in sweat.  That's not something that most people need to lose, so if you are sweating heavily, zinc supplementation wouldn't be a bad idea.  (Dont go overboard with it.)  One of those papers pointed out that lead excretion in sweat was of similar concentration to lead in urine.  That suggests that if lead is the sole problem, a sauna is probably not a big win.  On the other hand, if a person had a defect in the systems that are involved in urinary excretion, then a sauna might be a good alternative.  StotheG, you mentioned that your son had high heavy metals by hair analysis.   Which metals were elevated, and do you have any idea where they are coming from?


Edited by niner, 12 May 2015 - 02:58 AM.


#9 Kalliste

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Posted 17 May 2015 - 02:17 PM

Also consider taking more than one analysis before going into panic mode. I know of people who work as massagetherapists but who also provide testing of hair and so on. A relative of mine did this and had very alarming results. We managed to talk her into doing it another time with hair from the same sample and also leaving it to another provider of the same service. The results in all three deviated enough to make it near useless.



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#10 kurdishfella

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Posted 08 February 2021 - 08:21 PM

Saunas are actually not good for you, the only reason you feel good is because when your body overheats it cools itself down to try and reach a stable body temperature and it wastes a lot of your body water to do so. That's where the cooling/nice feeling comes from which people confuse with that the heat is good for you. Which also deplets b-vitamins and increases metabolism in a bad way not good to any extent.


Edited by kurdishfella, 08 February 2021 - 08:24 PM.






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