Boost Your Health With Heat - TRULY HEAL

Call Toll Free – Australia 1 800 719 673 / USA & Canada 1 800 810 4796

Boost Your Health With Heat

Written by

Deborah Freudenmann BHSc

Why do most clinics incorporate sauna therapy?

Find out about the healing heat of sauna therapy….

Parmenides from Elea 540-480 BC wrote; “give me the power to create fever and I can cure any disease”.

Since ancient Greek times, disease has been treated and healed with heat.

Heat is currently used around the globe for hygiene, health, well-being and spiritual purposes.

So what is sauna therapy?

Sauna therapy is the act of exposing your body to increased heat for a period of time. There are 3 major types of sauna therapy; dry air, steam or infrared. Dry air, like in a Finnish sauna and steam sauna project heat from the outside onto our skin which in turn causes the body to perspire as a cooling effect.
Far Infrared waves on the other hand penetrate the skin and elevate the temperature of the blood that circulates in fine capillaries. Through that the body increases in core body temperature from the inside out.

These changes in temperature activate pathways via the brain, which begin rebalancing the body and encourage homeostasis. Although the primary objective of this feedback loop is to thermoregulate the body (bring your core body temperature down to normal), it results in a number of beneficial side effects.

In the Finnish Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study, investigating over 2000 middle-aged men, researchers came to the following conclusions:

Sauna use 2-3 times per week reduced the likelihood of death from cardiovascular-related causes by 27%
Sauna use 2-3 times per week was associated with a 66% and 65% lower likelihood of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
Sauna use 4-7 times per week reduced the likelihood of death from cardiovascular-related causes by 50%

In fact another study found that frequent sauna use reduced all-cause premature mortality by 40%.

One randomized controlled trial that investigated the effects of 4 weeks of sauna sessions on 28 patients diagnosed with mild depression. Subjects reported subjective improvements in hunger/appetite, body aches, anxiety, relaxation scores, & depression levels.

A population-based prospective cohort of middle-aged Caucasian men, indicated that higher frequency of sauna sessions was observed to be independently associated with a reduced risk of pneumonia. Direct effects of a sauna on the airways and lung tissue include reduced oxidative stress, improvements in ventilation and lung function and reduction in pulmonary congestion.

How does sauna lead to these positive outcomes?

On a cellular level, whole body sauna induces metabolic changes that include:

Improved immune function
Lowers inflammation markers
Lowers inflammatory cytokines
Production of heat shock proteins
Increased production of endogenous antioxidants
Reduced oxidative stress
Increased NO (nitric oxide) bioavailability
Increased insulin sensitivity
Induces Nrf2 pathway
Improved detoxification and elimination
Improved cardiovascular functions and endothelial-dependent vasodilatation metabolic pathways
Increased mitochondrial function

One of the leading markers of systemic inflammation is C-reactive protein. An acute phase reactant generated by the liver, levels of CRP increase rapidly in response to infection, inflammation, and trauma, and subside upon resolution.

In a study of two thousand men between the ages of 40-60, it was found that sauna bathing was inversely correlated with CRP levels. Those who used sauna therapy 4-7x per week had the lowest mean serum CRP relative to those who used it 2-3x per week or once per week.
Not only that, but use of saunas has been shown to increase levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines like IL-10.

With all these cellular changes occurring as a result of sauna therapy its clear why studies show improvements to such a large number of conditions.

Most interestingly is that the positive effects of sauna therapy (notably the reduction in inflammation) are dose-dependent. Therefore, regular sauna therapy is required for a positive therapeutic outcome.

What type of sauna is best?

Infrared sauna possesses a number of unique characteristics which makes it unique as a therapeutic heat treatment option. Unlike other sauna techniques infrared penetrates through the outer layers of your skin heating up be the blood vessels bellow. Infrared light is completely safe and does not cause any damage to tissue. By penetrating through the skin infrared sauna therapy is able to increase your core body temperature much quicker and the temperature in the air around you only gets marginally heated. Due to this, high temperatures are not required as the infrared heat gently raises the core body temperature.

When using Infrared sauna, it opens options to conduct low level whole body hyperthermia which is the act of increasing the core body temperature enough to put the body into a state of fever.

This medical therapy is conducted with the use of infrared technology and is commonly used as a cancer therapy. Clinical research suggests that fever is one of the bodies most effective means to restore its complex regulatory, repair and defense mechanism.
Healthy cells survive increased heat environments without lasting damage while the increased metabolism that accompanies the heat can irrevocably harm damaged, infected or mutated (cancer) cells.

Hyperthermia/Sauna and Pathogens

Hyperthermia is also an effective treatment against a number of viral and bacterial infections. The body naturally generates a fever in the face of infection as healing mechanism. The positive effects of natural fever and therapeutic hyperthermia treatments are huge.
These effects are also in part, due to heat shock proteins. Heat shock proteins are produced as a result of fever, inflammation and oxidant injury. These proteins help support the immune system to flag pathogens, mutated cells and reduce damage to healthy tissue. The healthy production of heat shock proteins has been indicated in a wide range of conditions including Alzheimer’s, cancer and infections.

Aside from the heat shock proteins, viral and bacterial pathogens are unable to replicated in the increased heat environment and can be rapidly dealt with by the immune system.

Hyperthermia treatments have been found to be beneficial in many patients to restore immune function, support chronic disease and help eradicate viral/bacterial infections.

All infrared saunas, however, are not created equal. In addition, it is important to select a sauna that cancels out damaging EMF frequencies, providing a non-toxic and therapeutic treatment.

Sauna Dome & Hyperthermia Dome

The Curve Dome has a unique design of it’s own. The Infrared Curve Dome Sauna is both equal parts theraputic and flexible, delivering maximum theraputic benefit by being portable and easy to store away when not used.

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE

References

Laukkanen, T., Khan, H., Zaccardi, F., & Laukkanen, J. A. (2015). Association between sauna bathing and fatal cardiovascular and all-cause mortality events. JAMA Internal Medicine, 175(4), 542–548. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.8187

Laukkanen, J. A., & Laukkanen, T. (2018). Sauna bathing and systemic inflammation. European Journal of Epidemiology, 33(3), 351–353. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-017-0335-y

Lee, C. (2018). Therapeutic modulation of virus-induced oxidative stress via the Nrf2-dependent antioxidative pathway. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/6208067

Beever, R. (2009). Far-infrared saunas for treatment of cardiovascular risk factors. Canadian Family Physician, 55(July), 691–696.

Laukkanen, T., Kunutsor, S., Kauhanen, J., & Laukkanen, J. A. (2017). Sauna bathing is inversely associated with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in middle-aged Finnish men. Age and Ageing, 46(2), 245–249. https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afw212

Kunutsor, S. K., Laukkanen, T., & Laukkanen, J. A. (2017). Frequent sauna bathing may reduce the risk of pneumonia in middle-aged Caucasian men: The KIHD prospective cohort study. Respiratory Medicine, 132, 161–163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmed.2017.10.018

Oehler, R., Pusch, E., Zellner, M., Dungel, P., Hergovics, N., Homoncik, M., … Roth, E. (2001). Cell type-specific variations in the induction of Hsp70 in human leukocytes by feverlike whole body hyperthermia. Cell Stress and Chaperones, 6(4), 306–315. https://doi.org/10.1379/1466-1268(2001)006<0306:CTSVIT>2.0.CO;2

Strandberg, T. E., Strandberg, A., Pitkälä, K., & Benetos, A. (2018). Sauna bathing, health, and quality of life among octogenarian men: the Helsinki Businessmen Study. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research, 30(9), 1053–1057. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-017-0855-z

Garolla, A., Torino, M., Sartini, B., Cosci, I., Patassini, C., Carraro, U., & Foresta, C. (2013). Seminal and molecular evidence that sauna exposure affects human spermatogenesis. Human Reproduction, 28(4), 877–885. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/det020

Crinnion, W. J. (2011). Sauna as a valuable clinical tool for cardiovascular, autoimmune, toxicant-induced and other chronic health problems. Alternative Medicine Review.

Hussain, J., & Cohen, M. (2018). Clinical Effects of Regular Dry Sauna Bathing: A Systematic Review. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2018, 1–30. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/1857413

Kunutsor, S. K., Khan, H., Zaccardi, F., Laukkanen, T., Willeit, P., & Laukkanen, J. A. (2018). Sauna bathing reduces the risk of stroke in Finnish men and women: A prospective cohort study. Neurology, 90(22), e1937–e1944. https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000005606

Jussi, K. (2016). Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study. In Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine(Vol. 103, pp. 1–2). New York, NY: Springer New York. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6439-6_328-2

Deborah Freudenmann

Deborah Freudenmann has a Bachelor of Health Sciences in Naturopathy and is a co-author and teacher of the Functional Medicine Health Coaching program. She has previously completed a Cert. IV in Food Coaching, Diploma in Holistic Massage Therapy and a Diploma in Anatomy and Physiology. Deborah continues to research, write and educate. With a passion for education Deborah has found her interest discovering and assimilating the newest research and finding ways to apply this research. In doing so Deborah continues to investigate and educate people on understanding, finding and resolving the underlying causation of chronic diseases.

7 Responses

John B. says:
April 4, 2020 at 12:00 am
Hi..I’ve been receiving your TrulyHeal notifications for about a year now and think I am ready to make a purchase. I have been doing alternative therapies for aggressive prostate cancer and will begin with 3-BP therapy next week. I received a 20% discount coupon for the hyperthermia dome about 1-2 weeks ago and was wondering if that special is still available. Also, I’d like to do a 15 or 30 minute consultation, but would like to know available times to call.
Best regards,
John
Reply
1. MF says:
  September 8, 2020 at 1:43 pm
  Hello John, we have reduced the dome by 20% in the cart due to the fact that everybody came after the purchase and requested a refund for the coupon code. So before we add administration we rather discounted on the website. You can have the dome already discounted. https://healthytobe.com/product/sauna-dome-hyperthermia-dome/
  Reply
Ann Simpson says:
April 4, 2020 at 4:17 pm
Hi,
What are your thoughts on the “infrared sauna blankets” that are available on the internet? You can lay on the bed while inside the sauna “bag” – head out. It sounds reasonable in theory, but wondering if it would deliver the same benefits as other sauna types. The one I am referring to is the Infrared Sauna Blanket featured on MiHIGH ( mihigh.com.au )
Reply
1. MF says:
  September 8, 2020 at 1:41 pm
  Hello Ann, because most fIR blankets are not real far-infrared but rather electric wire blankets like like the BioMat we do not recommend their use. If you take a EMF meter you will see massive EMF readings. These are more destructive than the healing factor from the warmth. Also they are not powerful enough to achieve any increase in core temperature above 101.3. This is definitely not healthy and does not help. Sweat lodges and normal saunas with an oven are good for sweating but not for any form of hyperthermia. Believe me we have tried all variations and always had to come back to the dome. The commercial counterpart which you can have at clinics costs $ 30,000 for the basic HeckelBed or $100,000 for the Ardenne Bed which is a lot more than the $2400 for the dome. Also 1 treatment is between $1000 to $1800 in a clinic and you need a few to make a dent. In the long run you safe thousands.
  Reply
nic gallo says:
May 15, 2020 at 4:54 am
are Far Infared cabin sauna good for your health
Reply
1. MF says:
  May 15, 2020 at 7:21 am
  YES.
  Reply
Julie L Foster says:
October 27, 2021 at 12:19 am
Hello,
I bought my dome a few years ago and love it.
My family is visiting and one of them just tested positive for covid with very minimal symptoms. My question is if we get him to 102 and maintain it for the hour, will that wipe it out?
My sisters joints hurt so badly yesterday. we put her in the dome and she took an hour and twenty minutes to get to 102 and maintained it for an hour. She feels incredibly well today.
How hot does the body have to get to kill the virus?
Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Related Articles

Education

Understanding Colon Cancer

Let’s dive into the world of colon cancer—a significant health concern that affects countless lives. Colon cancer ranks as the third most common cancer-related cause of death in the United States. Colon cancer takes root in the large intestine affects 1 in 23 men and 1 in 25 women at some point in their life. In this article, we’ll learn about colon cancer, explore its signs and symptoms, delve into its root causes, understand treatment options, and arm you with natural strategies to support your well-being.

Education

Phytonutrients: Exploring the Benefits

As we learn more about the importance of a healthy diet, the term “phytonutrients” has become increasingly popular. But what exactly are phytonutrients? Why are they important for our health, and where can we find them? In this article, we’ll explore the world of phytonutrients, their benefits, and how you can incorporate them into your diet.

Education

PEMF Therapy & Stroke

A stroke is a medical emergency that occurs when blood flow to a part of the brain is disrupted. The brain needs a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients, which are carried to it by blood vessels. When blood flow to the brain is interrupted, brain cells can start to die within minutes. This can cause permanent brain damage or even death. The symptoms of a stroke can vary depending on which part of the brain is affected.

Education

Myocarditis & Pericarditis

Myocarditis and pericarditis are two types of heart inflammation and damage to the heart muscles. These two conditions can lead to some serious and unwanted consequences. In this blog, we will explore the differences between myocarditis and pericarditis, their symptoms, causes and various treatment options. Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle (myocardium), while pericarditis is an inflammation of the lining that surrounds the heart (pericardium). Both conditions can cause chest pain, shortness of breath, and other symptoms related to heart function.

Education

Functional Approach to Athletes Foot

Athlete’s foot, also known as tinea pedis, is caused by a fungus. It is caused by a group of fungi called dermatophytes, which thrive in warm, moist environments, such as sweaty shoes or locker room floors.
The infection often strikes in “athletes”, who tend to have sweaty feet stuck in tight-fitting shoes for long periods of time. However, the rash can affect non-athletes just as commonly – especially if you wear shoes all day and sweat. Athletes foot can also be spread from person-to-person via unwashed clothes, shared towels, and even contaminated floors.

Education

Eating 30 Plants Every Week For Gut Health

That’s 30 different types of plants across all 6 plant food groups: fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, legumes (beans & pulses), nuts & seeds, herbs & spices. Plant-based foods play a key role in improving gut health by contributing to the diversity of the gut microbiome.
Why?
The more diverse, whole plant-based foods you eat, the more you’re likely to boost the diversity of the trillions of gut microbes you have.