Saunas provide a variety of health advantages, including relaxation and better sleep, but did you know that they are also a form of cancer therapy?
Throughout history, numerous civilizations have utilized saunas to wash out toxins and preserve ideal mental and physical health. Saunas, especially infrared saunas, have been shown to help prevent or reverse cancer.
Infrared saunas give a type of whole-body hyperthermia1 with various health benefits. Infrared sauna therapy for cancer combines several therapeutic mechanisms to fight cancer.
Far infrared sauna therapy provides the immunological and digestive activity needed by cancer patients to get better. The immunological response and digestive activity are reduced when the body’s sympathetic system is activated, allowing the brain, muscles, and glands to adapt to the stress. Infrared saunas therapy also helps to relax the body by lowering sympathetic system activity.
Read on to learn more about how infrared sauna helps in alternative treatments for cancer other than chemo.
What Is an Infrared Sauna?
Saunas employ steam/heat to create an environment that raises the temperature of your inner body. You’ll sweat and increase your heart rate to pump more blood to your skin. The excess sweat is your body’s attempt to chill you off. This method is supposed to imitate the effects of exercise and deliver similar health advantages.
Infrared saunas utilize infrared light to heat your body. At the same time, the air around you remains constant, unlike a traditional sauna, which uses heating devices to elevate the air temperature within.
In the simplest terms, infrared sauna therapy uses infrared lights to heat the body directly rather than merely heating the air around it like in a traditional sauna.
The Science Behind It: Traditional saunas heat the surrounding air, which warms our bodies. Infrared saunas, on the other hand, use infrared wavelengths to penetrate the skin, offering a deeper and more direct form of warmth.
Traditional vs. Infrared Saunas: Unlike their traditional counterparts, infrared saunas operate at a lower temperature. This lower temperature can be more tolerable for individuals who struggle with the intense heat of a regular sauna.
As a result, your core temperature rises without needing to sit in a room with a temperature of around 200℉. This temperature is more pleasant for some people than typical saunas.
Types of Infrared Saunas
Infrared saunas aren’t one-size-fits-all. Some of the most common you can come across include
Far Infrared Saunas
These primarily target body detoxification. Far infrared waves are the longest wavelength and penetrate the body, reaching the muscles and tissues. These wavelengths help to increase circulation,2 promote relaxation, and reduce inflammation. Far Infrared saunas are also thought to help with detoxification by encouraging the body to sweat out toxins.3
Near-Infrared Saunas
These promote wound healing and cellular health. Near-infrared waves are the shortest wavelength and penetrate the shallowest into the body, reaching the skin and subcutaneous tissues. Near-infrared light stimulates collagen production, improves circulation, and reduces inflammation. This can help to promote wound healing, improve skin health, and help with overall muscle recovery.
Full-Spectrum Saunas
A mix of both, offering the best of both worlds. Full-spectrum saunas emit all three wavelengths of infrared light: near, mid, and far. This provides many health benefits, including detoxification, improved circulation, reduced inflammation, and enhanced wound healing.
How Does Infrared Sauna Therapy Help Treat Cancer?
Numerous research studies back up the idea that infrared therapy has a significant effect on human health. Not only does the infrared sauna therapy’s hypothermic action confront poisonous and cancerous cells, but it also restores and regenerates our bodies at the cellular level.
Hyperthermia is an infrared sauna cancer treatment in which bodily tissue is subjected to high temperatures. Because high temperatures attack weaker cells while leaving healthy tissue unharmed, infrared is the ideal cancer combatant.
Regularly using an infrared sauna increases blood circulation- the thermal radiation penetrates deep into the body, altering it at the cellular level. Freshly-oxygenated hemoglobin then rushes throughout our bodies as ATP generation rises.
Since cancer cells can’t live in highly oxygenated conditions, the benefit of using an infrared sauna on cancer is also linked to reversing malignant cell growth. People are drawn to infrared saunas for the tremendous detox benefits they provide, in addition to the oxygenation they provide.
Infrared saunas have various detoxification effects, including cutaneous flushes and removing toxins from one’s interior organs.
Furthermore, because infrared heat permeates the human body directly, this sort of sauna produces substantially more sweat than conventional heating options.
Infrared heating allows people to stay in the sauna for extended periods and even permits at-risk groups to participate in this therapy.
Health Benefits of Infrared Sauna
There are several health benefits of infrared sauna therapy, including:
Improved Cardiovascular Functioning – Cardiovascular Diseases Saunas may benefit your heart. According to studies, people visiting saunas regularly can reduce their blood pressure. Other studies demonstrate that symptoms of congestive heart failure are improving.4
Helps with Weight Loss – While saunas aren’t a quick fix for weight reduction, they tend to help with some ailments. Evidence shows that people can use infrared saunas with other therapies for various health problems.
Improves lung health – Infrared sauna therapy users were shown to have a decreased incidence of pneumonia in several studies. Other people said that their asthma symptoms had improved.
Helps with pain management: – aunas have the potential to relieve pain when used regularly.
Immunity activation – While most cancer therapies decrease immune function, hyperthermia can boost it by triggering immune cell responses. Hyperthermia causes ‘heat shock’ proteins to form on the surface of cancer cells, rendering them more vulnerable to immune system attacks.5
Heat causes cancer cells to seem different from healthy ones, triggering an immediate response. The immune system is alerted by the damaged proteins on the outer membranes of tumor cells, which appear strikingly distinct from healthy cells, and macrophages are instantly deployed to the tumor. Dendritic cells (DC) are then activated, and the heat-damaged proteins are presented to T cells. Hyperthermia encourages DC maturation and translocation to lymph nodes, where T lymphocytes are stimulated to fight cancer cell proteins. The activated T cells then go for the tumor cells and kill them.
Some research6 has found that the above are actual advantages. A small sample of persons with chronic fatigue syndrome discovered that undergoing infrared sauna therapy regularly improved their mood and symptoms.
In another study7 Saunas were found to help alleviate muscular aches and pains after strenuous exercises. In addition, one study highlighted that infrared saunas might benefit those with high blood pressure. Persons with rheumatoid arthritis who visit the sauna have less pain and better joint mobility.
Infrared saunas have also been found to reduce aging and improve immunological function. Regular sauna therapy, for instance, has been demonstrated to reduce the chance of catching a cold in the winter. Infrared saunas employ red light therapy to stimulate collagen and elastin formation, which improves skin texture.
In summary, infrared saunas can assist the body in entering a state of relaxation. They can be an essential component of a stress-reduction strategy. Stress may put you at risk of other diseases if left uncontrolled, so finding practical strategies to decrease or manage day-to-day stress is critical for a good life. Infrared saunas can help you in this capacity.
What Are the Risks of Infrared Sauna Therapy?
Most researchers looking into the health advantages of infrared sauna therapy report that they have few adverse effects. However, there are a few things to remember to stay safe:
Dehydration – You can get dehydrated if you do not drink enough water. To keep hydrated, drink lots of water before and after your workout.
Lightheadedness – Even if you drink plenty of water, lightheadedness might happen. Walking gently inside and outside the sauna is best to avoid falling or collapsing.
Overheating – If you’ve never used a sauna before, there’s a chance you’ll overheat. That’s why, when you first start, it’s crucial to keep sessions brief. If at all feasible, choose the lowest heat setting.
If you start to feel any of these adverse effects, leave the sauna immediately. Drink lots of water and take a cold plunge shower to chill down. To lower your core temperature, drape a cool towel over your head. Seek immediate medical help if your heart is thumping and you still feel lightheaded.
Safety and Precautions
The appeal of infrared sauna therapy is undeniable, especially given its numerous potential health benefits. However, like with all treatments or therapies, it’s crucial to understand all the dos and don’ts. Ensuring safe and effective sessions is paramount and can significantly enhance the overall experience.
Moderation is key when delving into infrared sauna therapy. Experts suggest starting with a shorter sauna session of around 10 to 15 minutes, especially if you’re new to the experience, and then gradually increasing the duration as your body acclimates. It’s essential to gauge your body’s response after each session and make adjustments as necessary.8
Infrared saunas may also present unique challenges to those battling or recovering from cancer. If you’re undergoing treatment or have a history of cancer, always consult with healthcare professionals like ours at Immunity Therapy Center before starting infrared sauna therapy sessions. Their insights will be invaluable, ensuring the therapy advances rather than complicates your health journey.
Infrared Sauna Cancer Treatment Research and Studies
Several studies and research have been carried out to show the impact of infrared sauna therapy on cancer cells.
In a clinical trial published in 2009 in the Journal of Cancer Science and Therapy, researchers explored the effects of infrared heat treatment on mice cancer cells. The study found that, in just 30 days, the mice tumor volumes decreased by 86 percent.
In another study 9 Japanese researchers found that whole-body infrared hyperthermia significantly slowed the development of breast cancer tumors in mice with no adverse side effects. According to researchers, whole-body infrared hyperthermia is a viable noninvasive brain cancer therapy.9
Is Infrared Sauna Therapy Worth it?
Although there are other methods for producing hyperthermia, the infrared sauna is unquestionably one of the simplest and safest.
According to an article published in the International Journal of Biometeorology, materials emitting electromagnetic energy in the far-infrared range can stimulate leukocyte functions without boosting oxidative injury.10
Because of the selective toxicity that infrared sauna treatment exerts on cells, they are particularly promising for cancer therapy. Infrared radiation’s hyperthermia impacts are detrimental to malignant cells since normal healthy cells resist it, but cancer cells are challenged.
You’re selectively destroying or removing those cancer cells by subjecting your body to that infrared sauna’s heat without harming your healthy cells. So, infrared saunas can help you sweat, discharge toxins, and, theoretically, kill cancer cells that can’t withstand the heat.
Infrared saunas provide a one-two punch for effective detoxification, cellular repair, and regeneration, thanks to their internal heating mechanism and the sweat they generate.11
Conclusion
Poor blood circulation is frequently connected to cancer. An infrared sauna can help with this since the heat causes the blood to flow closer to the skin in a quest to cool down. This promotes circulation throughout the body and enhances pulmonary oxygenation.
Infrared saunas offer significant advantages to cancer patients who cannot exercise and have inoperable tumors.
Reach out to us at the Immunity Therapy Center in Mexico to learn more about our cancer treatment therapies!
Sources:
- Definition of hyperthermia – NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/hyperthermia
- Infrared Sauna Improving Circulation https://saunas.org/infrared-sauna-improving-circulation/
- BUS Study: How Infrared Saunas Can Help You Detox Heavy Metals https://www.urbanfloat.com/blog/bus-study-infrared-saunas-are-a-powerful-detox-tool
- The Cardiometabolic Health Benefits of Sauna Exposure in Individuals with High-Stress Occupations. A Mechanistic Review https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7908414/
- Whole-body hyperthermia helps kill cancer cells https://www.canceractive.com/article/whole-body-hyperthermia-helps-kill-cancer-cells
- Permanently cure chronic fatigue with infrared saunas and lifestyle modifications https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/permanently-cure-chronic-fatigue-infrared-saunas-lifestyle-mearns
- Clinical Effects of Regular Dry Sauna Bathing: A Systematic Review https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5941775/
- How Long Should You Sauna For Detoxification Benefits? https://infrared-sauna.com.au/blog/benefits-of-a-sauna-detoxification
- Non-Thermal Effects of Far-Infrared Ray (FIR) on Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells HepG2 and their Tumors https://www.hilarispublisher.com/open-access/nonthermal-effects-of-farinfrared-rayfir-on-human-hepatocellular-carcinoma-cells-hepg-and-their-tumors-1948-5956.1000012.pdf
- Electromagnetic wave emitting products and “Kikoh” potentiate human leukocyte functions https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1993IJBm…37..133N/abstract
- Infrared sauna in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10067-008-0977-y
- Prophylactic Effects of Sauna on Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness of the Wrist Extensors https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4592767/
- Sauna Detox: The Toxin Connection to Autoimmunity https://www.amymyersmd.com/article/sauna-detox
At Immunity Therapy Center, our goal is to provide objective, updated, and research-based information on all health-related topics. This article is based on scientific research and/or other scientific articles. All information has been fact-checked and reviewed by Dr. Carlos Bautista, a Board Certified Medical Doctor at Immunity Therapy Center. All information published on the site must undergo an extensive review process to ensure accuracy. This article contains trusted sources with all references hyperlinked for the reader's visibility.