At first glance, spending time in a small room at 80°C may seem unpleasant, but many people do it willingly and regularly. How ? By heading to the sauna, which is an integral part of daily life in countries like Finland, but has recently gained popularity elsewhere as well. This may be partly due to its apparent health benefits, but how true are these claims?
Do saunas have health benefits?
Dementia
In recent years, headlines have been full of headlines about the apparent benefits of sauna bathing for the brain, particularly in preventing Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. Why? It may well be due to two studies, one from 2016 and one from 2020, that suggest a link between frequent sauna use and a lower risk of dementia.
The previous study used data that followed more than 2,000 healthy Finnish adult men for an average of about 20 years, who were asked to complete 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 for 39 years and their typical sauna activity over the course of a month. Both studies determined whether or not the participants were 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 this disease. The 2016 study found, for example, that sauna bathing four to seven times per week was associated with a 66% reduction in the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, compared to just one session per week.
Without going so far as to define exactly how this might work, the researchers suggest it could involve reducing blood pressure or activating protective heat shock proteins.
All this sounds promising, but both studies should be interpreted with caution. For example, the questionnaire on usual sauna use was only completed once – people’s habits may have changed over the years.
And unlike clinical trials, where researchers intervene — in which case they would divide people into groups and ask them to use saunas differently — both studies are observational.
This means that there were no interventions and they were not carried out with the aim of proving that sauna use affects the risk of dementia. This does not mean that there is not it a potential link, but no studies prove it – more research would be needed to do so.
Cardiovascular health
The same group of researchers from the 2016 dementia study also followed the same group of Finnish men for their cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) health. In another paper on the subject, they found that more frequent sauna use may be linked to a “significantly reduced 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 needed to provide strong evidence of a link and determine exactly how harm reduction works. The researchers also caution that their findings should be treated with caution by people suffering from certain cardiovascular diseases; Saunas can lower blood pressure, which is more than dangerous for people with already low blood pressure.
Sauna alone may not be the answer anyway – another way to improve cardiovascular health is regular exercise, which a newer, smaller study suggests may be beneficial when is combined with the use of the sauna.
Mental Health
One area that might seem to benefit from using our sauna is our mental health, and according to the Global Sauna Survey, which collected 482 valid responses, this appears to be the case. For example, 83.5% of all respondents reported having better sleep after using the sauna, and respondents who reported using the sauna between five and 15 times per month had slightly higher well-being scores. higher than less frequent users.
In contrast, the most commonly cited motivation for using a sauna was relaxation and stress reduction; simply setting aside this time for this specific purpose may have helped. Add to that the fact that the survey was conducted online among a non-random group of people and it only represented 29 countries (all countries except Finland, Australia and from the United States, represented less than 5% of participants each) and the results cannot necessarily be considered reliable or applicable to everyone.
Are saunas a health risk?
Although saunas are known for their many health benefits, their use nevertheless carries certain risks. Indeed, they are hot and it is to be expected that too hot can be a problem for the body.
One of the main risks of sweltering temperatures is dehydration, due to the large amount of sweat produced by the body in response to that heat (and before you even think about it, no, you don’t “detoxify” by sweat – that’s what your liver and kidneys are for). If this fluid is not replenished, the body cannot function normally and you may end up with headaches, low blood pressure and fatigue.
Some have also expressed concern about the effect of saunas on fertility in men, after a study of 10 healthy men found a reduction in sperm count and motility after 3 months of two sauna sessions per week. However, it’s worth noting that a) this is a small study, so more research is needed to validate it and b) a lower sperm count won’t necessarily harm your fertility.
How to Stay Safe in the Sauna
Whether they have health-related superpowers or not, people still love using saunas – it’s just important to do it safely. General tips for avoiding the riskier elements of a sauna include:
- Avoid alcohol – it can increase the risk of dehydration
- Do not stay more than 15 to 20 minutes
- Take your time to cool down afterwards.
- Drink plenty of water after your ride – the equivalent of about two to four glasses
- Do not use if you are sick
All “explanatory” articles are confirmed by fact checkers be correct to time of publication. Text, images and links may be changed, deleted or added in the future to keep the information up to date.
The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.