Infrared saunas claim to detox the body, relieve pain, and rejuvenate your skin, among other health benefits. But do they deliver? Then in this article, we’ll discuss infrared sauna therapy to fully understand the benefits of infrared sauna detox on the body.
What is a detox?
Detoxification is a process of getting your body rid of various toxins — a generic term for something that makes you feel unwell. Your body detoxifies all the time with the liver and kidneys doing most of the work. It’s imperative to detox, or cleanse, to strengthen the immune system, rejuvenate skin and boost mental health. Additionally, it makes the body’s biochemical processes work more effectively so that nutrients can be digested. If you eat something you’re not supposed to, or take too much medication, the liver metabolizes everything. If you suffer from chronic illnesses such as colitis, chronic fatigue, auto-immune disease, fibromyalgia, immune deficiency states, autism, ADD or ADHD, going through a detoxification process could be very beneficial for you.
Sweating however has the primary role to cool the body down when it’s hot. And some studies show that sweat does have toxins, heavy metals, and chemical compounds.
Using an infrared therapy sauna has a variety of benefits, including detoxifying both the physical body and the mind.
How does an infrared sauna detox work?
Far Infrared Rays are invisible waves of energy that have the ability to penetrate all layers of the human physical body, penetrating into the inner-most regions of the tissues, muscles and bones.
Infrared saunas use infrared light to a depth of about one and a half inches (5 centimeters) beneath the skin, directly heating the body from the inside, causing sweating profusely. This sweat contains toxins released from the body, including heavy metals, pesticides, and other environmental pollutants. Toxins that have accumulated in the body can be better removed by sweating. The heat of the infrared sauna also increases blood flow and lymphatic drainage, which flushes toxins out of the body.
Did you know that an infrared sauna is mimicking moderate aerobic cardiovascular exercise, and so a lot of the same physiological responses that happen when you’re exercising? For example, your heart rate elevates while you’re exercising, your body metabolism will increase, and a large part of the energy generated by decomposition will be emitted in the form of heat energy, which will increase the body temperature, as well as other tissues, and organs, such as the kidneys, liver, and lymph. Systemic effects occur when heat is generated in a large area of the body.
Whenever we consume food, and particularly when we have processed unhealthy food or meat, our bodies create lactic acids and free fatty acids, as well as excess sodium and uric acid. Infrared sauna detox therapy can also contribute to the elimination of free fatty acids and subcutaneous fat, excess sodium and uric acid. If you have skin disorders, you can switch to infrared therapy instead of overworking the skin processing our toxins out through the dermis.
Additionally, infrared saunas can gently increase blood flow by expanding blood capillaries. It also increases oxygenation and regeneration of the blood, deeply detoxifying it for the improved functioning of all major organs in the body. These organs depend on the blood for energy. This detoxification is on the deepest level, allowing hidden toxins in the blood and tissue to be dissolved or immobilized.
However, it is critical to note that while infrared saunas may assist with detoxification, they should not be relied upon as the sole means of detoxification. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including eating a healthy diet, staying hydrated, and engaging in regular exercise, is crucial for supporting the body’s natural detoxification processes.
How long should I stay in the sauna for detox?
For detoxification, sauna bathers should stay for at least 15 – 25 minutes, at 50 – 60ºC for detoxification benefits. If you are a beginner sauna user, you may want to start out at 8 minutes to be safe, and gauge how you feel afterwards, as it can be an intense experience.
Infrared saunas, however, operate at a cooler temperature than traditional saunas. The lower temperature may be good for people that can’t tolerate heat. Plus the low temperature means that you can sit in here for far longer without getting that suffocating feeling of the hot air around us. In a traditional sauna the time to stay in is around 10 to 20 minutes, maybe longer if you used to heat. And an infrared sauna you can sit comfortably in it for an hour maybe even maybe longer.
Other benefits of the far-infrared sauna
Infrared saunas have all the same benefits as a regular sauna as a way of warming the body so let’s cover the benefits first.
- Speed up muscle fatigue and recovery
- Reduce stress
- Relieve arthritis pain and chronic pain
- Reduce blood pressure
- Improve circulation
- Rejuvenate skin
- Increase weight loss
- Detox your body
- Speed healing of wounds
- Help with treatment of chronic diseases (for example, sauna is often recommended for people with autoimmune diseases)
Many individuals who are sensitive to the humidity and hot climate produced by the traditional saunas find the far-infrared saunas more comfortable and frequently the preferred choice.
Holistic practitioners, as well as various therapies, incorporate the use of far-infrared saunas. The unique application of light waves heats the body’s internal temperature, which helps reduce blood pressure, reduce pain, and increase the detoxification process.