1
Introduction to Saunas
ŇI was exposed to the chemical toxins in
New York City on 9/11. Ever since,
I have had respiratory problems.
My immune system took a terrible hit. I became susceptible to every cold and flu, and had
bronchitis for three winters.
I
have been using an infrared lamp sauna for eight months and have found it
extraordinarily helpful. It has
made an enormous difference. It
has changed my life. The
bronchitis is gone. When I get a
cold, I do the infrared and seem to be responding better and better. I no longer have sinus infections and
the chest seems to heal with the infrared sauna.
I
am also losing weight and just feeling better all around. My teeth and gums have improved, as I
always had gum disease and was worried about this. In the sauna, I become centered. It is the most relaxing experience I have ever encountered,
and I have done many natural therapies.
I am amazed at what the sauna has done for my life already.Ó -
Mrs. D.R, Kunkletown, PA.
Sauna,
a Scandinavian word, is an ancient form of heat therapy that is used in many
cultures around the world. The
word sauna refers to dry heat,
although steam may be added in traditional saunas, usually by sprinkling water
on hot rocks.
A
sauna has two components, a heat source and an enclosure to contain the heat. The heat source may be a wood, gas or electric furnace, hot
rocks, far infrared emitters or electric infrared lamps.
Enclosures
can encompass the entire body such as a sweat lodge or a sauna room. Also available are sauna cabinets,
where oneŐs head remains outside.
The
basic idea of a sauna is to heat the body several degrees. The body then attempts to reduce its
temperature by driving blood to the surface and by sweating. Heating the body, and the bodyŐs response
to heating cause many beneficial physiological effects. Infrared adds an additional set of
benefits. Color therapy provided
by infrared heat lamps in an infrared lamp sauna adds even more benefits.
Saunas
dramatically improve circulation and relieve internal congestion. Heating the body helps destroy
bacteria, viruses and tumors.
Sweating promotes the elimination of toxic metals and chemicals,
radioactive particles and other toxins.
The skinŐs ability to eliminate poisons increases. Saunas offer many of
the benefits of exercise while requiring much less
exertion.
Sauna History
Hot baths have been used by many indigenous cultures for several
thousand years. Among them are the
Mayan sweat lodge, the Mexican temescal,
the Islamic hammam, the Russian bania, the Japanese mushi-buro, the Native American sweat
lodge, as well as hot baths described in Indian Ayurvedic medical
literature. Ancient Egyptian texts
including the Edwin Smith Papyrus mention the use of heat therapy for
tumors. The best-known European
sauna users are the Finns. Hot air
baths are also common among Greeks, Romans, Germans, Turks and others.
In
traditional Finnish society, the sauna was a multipurpose building. Besides the weekly family baths, the
building was used for smoking and curing meats, doing laundry, drying thatch,
malting barley and drying fish nets.
It was also used for massage, nursing the sick, washing the dead and as
a birthing chamber.
Finnish
settlers in America brought their sauna concepts with them. Often they would build the sauna
first. It would serve as a
temporary shelter to live in while they were building a house. Pioneers in natural therapeutics also
employed the sauna as a healing modality.
The best-known nineteenth century American sauna proponent was John
Harvey Kellogg, M.D. At his sanitarium in Battle Creek,
Michigan he carefully researched various dry and wet heat baths to assess their
value as healing modalities. A
favorite of his was the Ňelectric light bathÓ, employing the new incandescent
light bulb. Dr. Kellogg recognized
the penetrating power of the radiant heat given off by electric lamps. His device never caught on in America,
but thousands were sold in Europe, including to members of the royal families.
Sauna
use waned during the early years of the twentieth century, outshined by the
technological wonders of modern medicine.
Over the past thirty years, however, its use has increased, especially
as a safe and powerful method of eliminating addictive drugs and environmental
toxins. The infrared sauna was
also introduced. It provides a
more pleasant experience for many people and appears to be more effective for
detoxification as well.
Five Ways To Use Saunas
This book focuses on sauna
therapy. However, saunas may be
used in several ways:
á
Relaxation. The warm heat of a sauna relaxes the
muscles and nervous system.
Tensions melt away. The
sauna offers a healthful method to unwind after a difficult day.
á
Health
Maintenance.
Periodic use of a sauna, once a week or so, enhances circulation which
nourishes the glands, cleanses the skin and offers many of the benefits of
exercise.
á
Social
Interaction. Baths,
saunas and sweat lodges can be community gathering places for families and
other groups. The warmth promotes
openness and a community spirit.
á
Spiritual Development. Native Americans and other groups use
sweat lodges for sacred ceremonies.
The warmth, atmosphere and shape of the lodge make it excellent for
emotional and spiritual reflection.
Together with others or alone, the sauna is a marvelous place to
contemplate, meditate, pray and release fears and negativity. Adding sound, color, aromatherapy and
other modalities can enhance the effects of the heat.
á
Healing. Spending from 30 minutes up to several
hours per day in a sauna is a powerful yet very safe healing modality.
The sauna is excellent to add fiery yang energy to the body,
decongest the internal organs, assist circulation, heal infections and can help
many other body systems as well.
Standard medical therapies
too often focus on relieving symptoms, while ignoring deeper causes that the
sauna addresses. Among these, one
of the most important is the role of toxic substances in causing ill health.
Removing chemical, metal,
biological and radioactive toxins from the body is a prime rationale for the
use of saunas by everyone at this time in history. The following sections summarize the major toxins we must
cope with, as well as a few conditions the sauna can help ameliorate.
Eliminating Organic Chemicals
Never
before in history have large numbers of people been exposed to such a great
variety and high levels of toxic chemicals. From building materials and home furnishings to food
additives, solvents and thousands of other products, chemicals are part of the
modern lifestyle. I will only
summarize some of the classes of harmful chemicals, as many books cover this
subject in detail. Common toxic
chemicals include formaldehyde, phenols, xenobiotics (pesticides) and
phthalates. Others include PCBs,
trichloroethylene and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in hundreds of
common products.
Often,
the effects of these chemicals are subtle and cumulative. They accumulate in the water and the
air, so no location remains unaffected.
Avoiding exposure is all but impossible. According to the United States Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), toxic chemicals are the worst environmental problem in the
nation, responsible for up to 80% of cancer deaths.
One
class of chemicals, pesticides and herbicides, are among the most toxic
substances known to mankind.
Several billion pounds are sprayed each year directly onto our
crops. Besides eating and wearing
the residues, they may contaminate the air and water supplies for hundreds of
years.
Testing
for thousands of chemicals is costly when tests even exist, and modern medicine
has little to offer to eliminate them from the body. The diseases they cause have become epidemics. Sauna therapy shines brightly as a
simple, effective therapeutic modality to help eliminate chemical toxins from
the body.
Removing Toxic Metals
According
to the United States EPA, toxic metals are the second worst environmental
problem. Pesticides may contain
lead, copper, arsenic and other metals.
About forty million mercury amalgam dental fillings are still placed in
Americans each year. Tons of
mercury is dumped into the air from coal-burning power plants and
paper-making. Aluminum compounds
are routinely added to table salt and municipal drinking water supplies. Arsenic and lead used in pesticides and
insecticides find their way into the water and the food supplies.
In
my experience, everyone has excess toxic metals, whether or not they show up on
any test. Most often, they are
hidden deep within the brain, the liver and in many other organs and tissues as
well. Some toxic metals replace
vital minerals in enzyme binding sites.
However, the toxic metals do not function nearly as well. As they accumulate, they contribute to
hundreds of physical and emotional health conditions.
Lead contributes to more than 100 conditions
including neuromuscular and bone diseases, fractures, mental retardation,
hyperactivity, anemia and others.
Some historians believe the Roman Empire fell because lead water pipes
slowly poisoned the people and decreased their strength and intelligence. Sources of lead include old paint,
inks, pesticides, a few hair dyes, solder and other metal products. During sauna therapy, I have observed
that lead may have a sickly sweet odor as it is eliminated. Elimination of lead was confirmed with
hair mineral testing.
Cadmium contributes to high blood pressure,
heart disease, cancer, fatigue, arthritis, violence, infections, back pain and
other conditions. Common sources
are cigarette smoke, refined foods and tap water. A person may feel very tired for a few days when cadmium is
eliminated quickly from the body.
Mercury toxicity is present in almost everyone
today. Mercury is found in silver
amalgam dental fillings, all products from the sea to some extent, contact lens
solution, vaccines and air pollution.
Mercury may contribute to hypothyroidism, an impaired immune system,
digestive problems such as yeast infections, emotional difficulties, learning
disabilities, autism, ADHD and many other conditions. Mercury elimination, if heavy, may cause a fishy odor during
a sauna session.
Aluminum is associated with memory impairment,
AlzheimerŐs disease and other dementias. Aluminum compounds are found in table
salt, beverage cans and aluminum foils, antiperspirants, antacids, aluminum
cookware and as a drinking water additive. Peppermint, spearmint and wintergreen are naturally high in
aluminum.
Fluoride contributes to brown staining of the
teeth, weakened bones, hip fractures, hypothyroidism, mental impairment, birth
defects and cancer. Fluoride
compounds are found in pesticides, air pollution, prescription drugs such as
Prozac, toothpastes, and are added to many water supplies. Foods processed with water including
baby foods and juices often contain too much fluoride. Fluoride is extremely toxic and
difficult to remove from tap water.
Large,
worldwide studies show little or no benefit of fluoride for tooth decay,
contrary to many news reports. Only
the United States, Australia and Great Britain continue to add highly toxic
fluoride compounds to their drinking water.
Chlorine toxicity is associated with fatigue,
heart disease, cancer and kidney problems. Chloride is required in the body and is found in salt and
other foods. Many chlorinated
compounds, however, are highly toxic.
These include chlorinated compounds in tap water such as chloramines and
chlorinated hydrocarbons used in pesticides and other chemicals. Exposure sources include bathing in
chlorinated water, pools and hot tubs, and the use of chlorine bleach and other
chlorine-containing household products.
Arsenic contributes to liver and kidney damage,
weakness, diarrhea, muscle spasms, headaches and other symptoms. Sources include pesticides, beer, tap
water, table salt, paints and other chemical products.
Physiological
minerals may also become toxic in certain forms. For example, hexavalent chromium is toxic while trivalent chromium is
not. Vital minerals may also
become toxic if the body is missing other minerals required for their proper
metabolism. For example, calcium is needed in the bones. When it accumulates in the arteries,
joints, kidneys or elsewhere it becomes toxic. This can occur because other minerals such as sodium and copper that are required for proper calcium
metabolism may become deficient or biologically unavailable.
A
similar situation occurs with iron, manganese, chromium, copper, selenium and other vital minerals, contributing
to many health conditions. Of
these, the most commonly seen are copper, iron and manganese toxicity. They will often be revealed on a hair
mineral test at some point if one pursues a corrective nutrition and sauna
therapy program. All three of
these minerals can help support weak adrenal glands.
Copper is found in many foods, especially nuts,
seeds, grains and beans. Zinc
deficiency and adrenal exhaustion, both very common, aggravate copper
toxicity. Copper imbalance can
contribute to emotional conditions, skin problems, joint pain, cancer, migraine
headaches and premenstrual tension.
The symptoms of copper toxicity are identical to the symptoms of
premenstrual tension. Copper
elimination in a sauna may be accompanied by a rotten egg odor. This may be due to sulfur that is bound
to copper and eliminated along with it to protect the body from the worst
effects of excessive copper.
Manganese is found in unleaded gasoline and foods
such as tea. Both copper and
manganese are needed in the body.
However, the body may accumulate excessive manganese to help support
weak adrenal glands. This
manganese is not helpful and must be eliminated. Manganese elimination in a sauna may cause a slightly
metallic odor.
Iron toxicity is also common, although often
not revealed on standard tests.
Inorganic iron is added to refined white flour products such as breads,
breakfast cereal, crackers and pastry.
Vitamin and mineral supplements often contain iron. Iron can accumulate to help support weak
adrenal glands. It is stored in
the liver and other organs and may contribute to heart disease, cancer,
emotional difficulties and other health problems.
Sauna
therapy is excellent to remove excess minerals, both toxic metals and unusable
and excessive amounts of physiological minerals.
Clearing Biological Toxins
Chronic infections play an important role in
many health conditions. These
range from artery disease and ulcers to arthritis and perhaps some
cancers. Many bacteria and fungi
in particular produce powerful toxins that contribute to both local and
systemic disease. Endotoxins are those produced within bacteria that
often cause fevers and many other symptoms. Exotoxins are those secreted by bacteria. According to DorlandŐs Illustrated Medical Dictionary, they are among the most
poisonous substances known to mankind.
Weakened
by exposure to ionizing radiation, toxic chemicals and heavy metals, the bodies
today are much more susceptible to attack by infections. Also, more and more infections are
becoming resistant to drug therapy as a result of weakened bodies and the
overuse of antibiotics.
Viral
infections such as AIDS, Hanta and West Nile virus,
Avian flu and many, many others are also on the rise and difficult to treat
conventionally. Other infections
difficult to treat with conventional means such as Lyme disease are also
increasing in frequency. Many
infections today are chronic, causing nagging complaints that never go
away. This occurs especially in
areas of the body with poor circulation such as the joints, ears and sinuses.
Heating
the body is a natural mechanism the body uses to fight infections. Indeed, a low body temperature due to
impaired thyroid activity or other factors is one of the causes of recurrent
infections. Sauna therapy not only
heats the body, but powerfully improves circulation and employs other
mechanisms as well to help fight both acute and chronic infections. Chapter 9 discusses this in detail.
Eliminating Ionizing Radiation
An
article in The Ecologist, April 2001
issue, begins by stating, Ňthe (radiation) equivalent of a nuclear war has
already happenedÓ. This may not be
an exaggeration. The article
carefully details that 1900 nuclear tests, accidents and nuclear waste dumping
have exposed everyone on the planet to the equivalent of 100 Hiroshima bombs.
The
article reveals details of previously classified accidents, including one in
Greenland in 1968. A B-52 crashed
at a secret nuclear base and its cargo of four nuclear bombs detonated, sending
up a cloud of plutonium 25,000 feet into the air. According to US documents, 1250 nuclear weapons have been
involved in accidents, a number of which Ňresulted in or created the potential
for plutonium dispersalÓ. The
Soviet Union was notorious for its cavalier attitude regarding nuclear
accidents. A 1991 film documents
the poisoning of hundreds of thousands as a result of accidents at their first
plutonium factory at Chelyabinsk in the Ural Mountains.
Using
the official Ôradiation riskŐ estimates published in 1991 by the International
Commission on Radiological Protection, planetwide contamination will cause 175
million cancer deaths and another 350 million non-fatal cancers. It will also cause another 235 million
illnesses and 588 million children to be born with birth defects such as brain
damage, mental disability, spina bifida and others.
Depleted
uranium, a waste product which every nation that has atomic weapons has in
abundance, is another source of radiation exposure. To get rid of it, it is often made into ammunition that was
used in the Gulf War, Bosnia and Kosovo.
Leukemia rates have increased in these areas since its use.
Another
hidden source of radiation is the fluoride compounds added to many municipal
water supplies. Hydrofluosilicic
acid, the source of most
fluoride for water supplies, is a smokestack waste product that contains
radioactive particles along with the fluoride.
Other
sources are medical and dental x-rays, medical waste that may contain
radioactive materials, CAT and other scans, smoke alarms and proximity to food
irradiation facilities.
Radiation
is carried on mineral particles.
The minerals lodge in the cells where they disrupt DNA synthesis. This causes defective protein synthesis
resulting in innumerable subtle metabolic dysfunctions. As the defective proteins replicate,
the metabolic errors also multiply.
Infrared
lamp sauna therapy promotes more rapid turnover of damaged body cells. The deeply penetrating energy helps
kill damaged cells, which are often more heat-sensitive than normal cells. Eliminating the radiation-containing
cells helps the body eliminate radioactive particles faster and prevents
replication of these cells. Over a
period of time, lamp sauna therapy can thus reduce the amount of mutated DNA
and radioactive material in the body.
One needs to continue sauna use on a maintenance basis because exposure
to radiation continues throughout oneŐs life.
An Anti-aging Therapy
As
we age, a number of changes take place that are reversed to varying degrees
with sauna therapy. These include
a slower metabolic rate, less sweating, slower healing and a reduced ability to
eliminate toxins and infections.
These changes contribute to the risk of major illness and to the process
of aging. Since sauna therapy
helps reverse them, it may be considered a prime anti-aging therapy.
Sauna
therapy can be of tremendous value for a wide variety of conditions. It can be used by most people at any
age, even by those in wheelchairs.
Physicians familiar with it contend that it can be adapted for any
condition with proper supervision.
Simple, yet powerful, it can usually be done right in the home.
Practical Considerations
The
FDA approves of saunas as therapeutic devices. Consult with your health insurance representative regarding
reimbursement for the cost of a sauna.
The Internal Revenue Service may consider sauna therapy a deductible
health expense if prescribed by a doctor.
Adding
a built-in sauna will increase the value of oneŐs home. Unlike hot tubs and steam rooms, saunas
require practically no maintenance and are simple and inexpensive to operate.
ŇWomen donŐt sweat! They glow.Ó
2
The Effects of Saunas
ŇIt is incredible! In just a few short weeks of using an infrared lamp sauna, I
am beginning to feel so much better.
I have seen so many physicians and spent so much money with no results. It is wonderful to be free of
amitryptline (an anti-depressant drug), and my hopes for the future are looking
brighter. I have finally found
something that really helps.Ó
- Mrs. D.A., Phoenix, Arizona.
The
great benefits of saunas are due to a
combination of a dozen or more physiological effects. This is the wonderful secret of the
healing power of the sauna. In
this chapter, sauna benefits are divided into those that occur early in a sauna
session and those that occur later in the session. These two phases of a sauna session I have called Phase One and Phase Two.
The Two Phases of a Sauna Session
The
effects of saunas occur in two phases.
The distinction is important for sauna therapy. In the first phase, the body temperature remains approximately at basal
level and sweating is light.
Although tissue heating occurs, the body is able to dissipate the extra
heat by increasing circulation, shunting blood to the skin and sweating. As a result, the body temperature does
not rise.
Phase one sauna effects include
inhibiting the sympathetic nervous system, inducing sweating, relieving pain,
reducing heat production, improving oxygenation and dilating peripheral blood
vessels. Others are relieving
internal organ congestion, relaxing the muscles and enhancing the flexibility
of tendons and ligaments.
Phase
Two. After 10 to 30
minutes, the body can no longer dissipate the heat of the sauna. Body temperature rises. Blood is more forcefully shunted to the
surface. The heart rate and
sweating increase. One may feel
feverish with slightly labored breathing and some faintness or
light-headedness. It may be
tempting to get out of the sauna, but this is not recommended unless discomfort
is extreme. Some of the greatest
benefits occur during the second phase of a session.
Phase two sauna effects include
increasing the body temperature and hastening the death of weaker cells. They also include further increasing
the heart rate and circulation.
Others are directly disabling pathogenic microorganisms, resolving
infiltrates and exudates and normalizing enzymatic activity when basal body
temperature is low. Some
researchers believe infrared sauna therapy also produces heat shock proteins.
When
starting sauna therapy, the second phase may begin in 10 minutes. As one acclimates to the sauna over
several weeks to months, phase two may occur somewhat later in a session. Body temperature often rises abruptly
in the second phase. One can check
this by taking oneŐs temperature every few minutes during a sauna session. It will often remain at basal level and
then suddenly rise a few degrees.
The body may be resetting its thermostat to a higher temperature, as
occurs in infectious illnesses.
After
a sauna session, body temperature may remain elevated for up to 15 minutes or
so. Then it may suddenly drop back
to the basal level. One will often
feel fatigued or light-headed for 10-15 minutes after a sauna session, in part
for this reason. Resting ten to
fifteen minutes after a sauna session is important as it gives the body a
better opportunity to restore normal functioning.
Effects Common To All Saunas
Effects
are described first for all saunas. This is followed by a discussion of
effects that are unique to infrared lamp
and far infrared saunas, and then effects unique to infrared lamp saunas.
Phase One Effects for all Saunas
1. Balancing The Autonomic Nervous System
Sauna therapy inhibits excessive sympathetic
nervous system activity. This
enhances parasympathetic activity that is required for healing. The mechanisms involved are
1) sweating, 2) enhancing peripheral circulation and 3) inhibiting normal heat
production. These autonomic
effects are explained below.
Balancing
the autonomic nervous system is one of the most important benefits of sauna
therapy. This topic is so important that a more complete explanation of the
autonomic nervous system is included in Appendix B.
Many
people have chronically overstimulated sympathetic nervous systems. This causes a wide range of
difficulties, from adrenal exhaustion and fatigue to blood sugar problems,
anxiety, poor circulation, an impaired immune system, poor digestion and
impaired elimination.
Reducing
excessive sympathetic nervous system activity assists the parasympathetic
nervous system. This enhances
immune system activity and relaxes the muscles and the nervous system. It also rests the thyroid and adrenal
glands and promotes improved digestion and absorption of nutrients.
Strengthening
the parasympathetic system also helps relieve blood
stagnation. Chronic sympathetic
stimulation due to stress forces more blood into the internal organs as part of
the fight-or-flight response.
Blood stagnates there, impairing the circulation and nutrition of the
organs and decreasing their ability to eliminate wastes. Saunas help relieve this common cause
of ill health.
2. Inducing Sweating
Evaporation
of water on the skinŐs surface has a cooling effect. The source of the fluid in sweat is interstitial fluid. It is similar to lymph and contains
many minerals and other chemicals.
Any chemical in the blood or lymph may find its way into sweat.
Sweating
occurs with both sympathetic and parasympathetic activity. However, it is primarily a
parasympathetic activity.
ŇFibers
to most sweat glands are cholinergic...the sweat glands are stimulated
primarily by centers in the hypothalamus that are usually considered to be
parasympathetic centers.
Therefore, sweating could be called a parasympathetic function.Ó (Guyton, p. 715)
Sweating
During Exercise Versus Sweating In Saunas. Sweat generated by exercise has a
different composition and is less effective for detoxification. Sympathetic activation by exercise
reduces the activity of the organs of elimination and shunts blood away from
these organs. GuytonŐs Textbook of Medical Physiology explains
this as follows:
á
ŇIn heavy exercise, sympathetic stimulation is
an absolute essential. Sympathetic
stimulation has multiple effects on the circulation that are critical in
increasing the cardiac output to the very high levels required in heavy
exercise.Ó (p. 279)
á
ŇAt least three different mechanisms enhance
sympathetic activity during exercise.Ó
(p.
279)
á
ŇMass sympathetic discharge in many different
ways increases the capability of the body to perform vigorous muscle activity.Ó
(p. 719)
á
"Sympathetic stimulation reduces kidney
output." (p. 715)
Acclimatization
of the Sweating Mechanism. When beginning a sauna program, congestion and inactivity of
the skin impair sweating. After
weeks or perhaps up to six months of repeated sauna use, the skin becomes more
active and sweating increases up to fourfold.
Acclimatization
causes decreased concentration of sodium chloride in the sweat, which allows
progressively better conservation of minerals. Most of this effect is caused by increased secretion of
aldosterone.
ŇAn unacclimatized
person who sweats profusely often loses as much as 15 to 30 grams of salt each
day for the first few days. But,
after four to six weeks of acclimatization, the loss may be as little as 3-5
grams per day.Ó (Guyton, p. 890)
Sweating
in Different Areas of the Body. When one begins a sauna program, sweating may only occur in
some areas of the body. As the
program progresses, more of the skin sweats.
Sweating
in Men Versus Women.
Men generally sweat more easily than women because men in general have
faster metabolic rates that generate more heat naturally. Women usually require more time in a
sauna in order to begin sweating.
3. Improving Oxygenation
Sauna
therapy improves oxygenation in four ways:
á
As the body attempts to reduce its temperature,
more blood flows to the lungs and the skin where the blood picks up more
oxygen.
á
Increased pulse and stroke volume pumps more
blood through the entire body.
á
Repeated sauna use activates the skin,
increasing its ability to transfer oxygen to the blood.
á
Clearing bronchial and lung infections and
congestion may also increase oxygenation.
4. Dilating Peripheral Vessels
Shunting
the blood toward the body surface by dilating the peripheral blood vessels is
the primary mechanism used to reduce body temperature.
ŇThis
is caused by inhibition of the sympathetic centers in the posterior
hypothalamus that cause vasoconstriction.
Full vasodilation can increase the rate of heat transfer to the skin as
much as 8-fold.Ó (Guyton, p. 891)
5. Relieving Internal Congestion
In his text, Light Therapeutics, J.H. Kellogg, MD wrote, Ňpassive congestion or
stagnation of the blood in a (vital organ) necessarily involves diminished
oxygenation and accumulation of CO2 and other toxic substances in the
tissues.Ó
Saunas
powerfully move blood throughout the body. Sympathetic inhibition combined with
peripheral vasodilation forces blood to the body surface, reducing congestion
in the liver, kidneys and other internal organs. Dr. Kellogg noted that:
Ňblood
vessels of every important internal organ are very directly connected with the
vessels of the skin....we possess in artificial congestion of the skin (using
the sauna) a method whereby we may quickly withdraw from the great vascular
organs of the trunk from one-fourth to one-half of their total contents (of
blood).Ó
The
infrared lamp sauna design suggested in this book involves rotating the body
every few minutes, applying heat alternately to one side of the body and then
to another. This is even more
effective to relieve internal congestion than uniform heating that occurs in
other types of saunas.
6. Relaxing Muscles and Enhancing Flexibility of Tendons and Ligaments
Reduced
sympathetic stimulation, improved blood flow and a release of toxins all
contribute to these effects.
7. Reducing Heat Production
Adding
heat from an external source tends to decrease internal heat production.
ŇWhen
body temperature elevates, heat production by shivering and chemical
thermogenesis is strongly inhibitedÓ.
(Guyton, p. 892)
Chemical
thermogenesis means the biochemical generation of heat within the body. It is enhanced by greater activity of
the sympathetic nervous system.
8. Increasing The Alkalinity Of The Body
Dr.
Kellogg also knew that sweating can have a beneficial effect of normalizing the
acid-alkaline balance in the body.
This is determined in great part by the balance of the minerals in the
body. However, toxins generally
acidify the system by impairing circulation and the elimination of acid
end-products of metabolism. Many
bacteria and viruses also secrete acidic products that help to acidify the
body.
Phase Two Effects for all Saunas:
1. Increasing Body Temperature
Raising body temperature is
a basic physiological effect of saunas.
Body temperature may increase 1- 4 ˇF. Hyperthermia has the following effects:
2. Hastening The Death Of Weaker Cells
Heating
the tissues a few degrees for at least 15 minutes can destroy or disable weak,
heat-sensitive cells. These may
include:
á
cancer cells.
á
bacteria and spirochetes such as Borrelia burgdorferi which
causes Lyme disease
á
fungi and other parasites
á
cells infected with viruses
á
cells with damaged DNA
á
cells containing radioactive minerals
á
cells filled with chemical toxins
á
cells containing toxic levels of metals
á
other defective cells
Dr.
Jeffrey Freeman, founder of the Europa Institute of Integrated Medicine, wrote
that:
ŇResearchers have found that the blood
vessels in normal tissue ... open up (dilate) when heat is applied in an effort
to flush out the heat...A tumor is a more tightly packed group of cells (and)
blood circulation is sluggish and restricted. When heat is applied to the tumor (circulation is inadequate
and) the temperature continues to rise to destructive levels.Ó
3. Producing Heat Shock Proteins
Recent
research indicates that heating the body can temporarily suspend the synthesis
of normal body proteins and instead induce production of special proteins that
preserve and restore normal cell activity. These heat shock proteins (HSPs) powerfully enhance the
immune system and improve cellular energy production, respiration, elimination
and other cell functions.
HSPs
can inhibit the growth of cancer and improve conditions such as congestive
heart failure and recovery from heart attacks. Chapter 3 focuses on HSPs and their possible relation to
sauna therapy.
4. Improving Genetics
Today,
many people have a significant amount of damaged DNA due to the effects of toxic chemicals
and ionizing radiation. Saunas
assist in improving DNA three ways:
á
Improving the circulation and assisting the
eliminative organs helps remove radioactive particles and toxic chemicals.
á
Heat shock proteins produced in sauna sessions
may increase the rate of DNA replication, transcription and translation.
á
Heating the body helps kill weaker mutated
cells, preventing their reproduction and slowly improving the ratio of healthy
cells to genetically damaged cells.
5. Increasing The Heart Rate and Enhancing
Circulation
A
more rapid pulse may occur and if so, it is due to increased body temperature
rather than to sympathetic nervous stimulation as occurs with exercise.
ŇIncreased
temperature causes greatly increased heart rate...These effects presumably
result from the heat causing increased permeability of the muscle membrane to
the ions, resulting in acceleration of the self-excitation process.Ó (Guyton,
p. 162)
Increasing
cardiac output while at the same time shunting blood to the body surface
increases blood circulation to many areas of the body.
6. Resolving Infiltrates, Edema and
Exudates
Improving
circulation, disabling microorganisms and enhancing immune system activity
through production of heat shock proteins can help reduce edema, infiltrates
and exudates. Infiltrates are any
material in a tissue that is foreign to it. Exudates are fluid, cells or cellular debris that
have escaped from blood vessels and have deposited in body tissues.
7. Normalizing Enzymatic Activity When
Basal Body Temperature is Low
Low
basal body temperature is very common. This condition impairs the activity of
thousands of enzymatic reactions, affecting every body system. Heating the body to its normal
temperature temporarily corrects this condition and allows many enzymes to
function better.
Effects of Far Infrared Saunas
The
far infrared sauna is a newer type of
sauna. It became available about
40 years and is heated by six to twelve ceramic or metallic heating
elements. They emit radiation in a
narrow far infrared frequency range.
We cannot recommend this type of sauna at
all because they all emit harmful frequencies. Beware that some manufacturers are not honest about
this fact. If you have a far
infrared sauna, we suggest converting it to a heat lamp sauna (see page 109).
Therapeutic
effects of infrared saunas may include:
1. Some Deep Tissue Heating
Far
infrared radiant energy penetrates the skin and heats the tissues to about one
and a half inches inside. This
allows sweating to begin sooner than in hot air saunas that heat only the body
surface. This also permits one to
sweat at a lower ambient temperature because infrared heats the body, but not
the air. Many find this a more
comfortable experience and the effects are as intense or more so than those of
a traditional sauna.
2. Enhancing The Activity of Water
Molecules
Water molecules vibrate at infrared
frequencies. Far infrared energy
resonates with water molecules in the body, enhancing their energy and causing
deep heating.
Resonance
can produce other interesting effects on metal oxides, exciting the molecules
in ways similar to the way neon and fluorescent lamps function. The addition of certain frequencies to
the gases in neon tubes causes them to emit light and perhaps other
frequencies.
As
water moves through pipes or is processed by reverse osmosis its energy
decreases. This occurs less with
distillation and carbon filtration.
Exposure to infrared energy helps restore activity to water molecules in
the body.
3. More Yang Therapy
Chapter
5 discusses yin and yang therapies, a central concept in development
science. Today most bodies are too
yin. Consequently, yang or warming
therapies are often more effective to create balance in the body. While all sauna therapy is warming,
infrared heating is more yang than using the heater in a standard hot-rocks
sauna.
Several Comments About Far Infrared Saunas
Claims. Sauna manufacturers and sales people may claim benefits for far
infrared saunas based on studies that, in fact, were done with infrared lamp saunas, and not the
far infrared type of sauna. One
example is an article about chronic heart failure treated with saunas (Kihara,
2002). A review noted that the
saunas were heated with infrared heat lamps.
Additional Effects of Infrared Lamp Saunas
Infrared
lamp saunas are heated by reddish, infrared incandescent lamps, a type sold at
hardware stores. Benefits of this
heat source are due to full-spectrum infrared energy with most of it in the near
infrared range and a little in the middle and far infrared range. Effects are also due to color therapy,
more vigorous circulation due to design and other frequencies emitted by
incandescent infrared lamps. These
lamps can be added to almost any sauna.
1. Shortening Cluster Chains
Infrared
energy shortens chains of polluted water molecules. As this occurs, pollutants such as carbon monoxide, carbon
dioxide and sulfur dioxide are expelled into the air. Heavy metals such as mercury and cadmium precipitate,
facilitating their removal. This
is a powerful mechanism of detoxification that does not occur to the same
degree in a hot air sauna or far infrared sauna.
Shortening
the chains also decreases the specific gravity of the water and enhances its
adherence to cell surfaces. This
improves the absorption of nutrients and elimination of waste products.
2. A Tissue Nutrient
More
and more evidence indicates that certain light frequencies in the red and near
infrared range have very beneficial effects on the tissues. Dr. C.S. Enwemeka recently wrote
regarding these benefits:
ŇIt includes the
ability to accelerate inflammation, promote fibroblast proliferation, enhance
chondroplasia, upregulates the synthesis of type I and type III procollagen
mRNA, quicken bone repair and remodeling, foster revascularization of wounds
and overall accelerate tissue repair in experimental and clinical models.Ó
(ŇTherapeutic LightÓ, Interdis. J. of
Rehab., Jan/Feb 2004)
3. Reducing Lipid Peroxidation and
Enhancing Oxygen Production
Infrared
energy reduces lipid peroxidation that takes place in all cells as a result of
energy production (Jap J of Inflammation,
1996, 16(6)(Nov):4-5). This is
helpful to preserve delicate cell structures. At the same time, it increases the production of active
oxygen in neutrophils and inhibits tumor growth (Jap J of Inflammation, 1996, 16(6)(Nov):9).
4. Relieving Pain
Studies indicate that light therapy in the red
and near infrared range can reduce pain.
Studies indicate it may have direct effects on peripheral nerves and it
may modulate the levels of prostaglandins in inflammatory conditions such as
arthritis.
ŇWorks
from the laboratories of Drs. Shimon Rochkind of Tel-Aviv, Israel and Juanita
Anders of Bethesda, MD, USA indicate that specific energy frequencies of light
promote nerve regeneration, including regeneration of the spinal cord - a part
of the central nervous system once considered inert to healing.Ó (ŇTherapeutic
LightÓ, Interdisc. J. Rehab. Jan/Feb
2004)
Pain
relief mechanisms may also include reducing muscle spasms and relieving
ischemia due to impaired circulation.
They may also include improving oxygenation of the tissues, removing
irritants and toxins and disabling or killing pathogenic microorganisms.
5. Color Therapy
Color
therapy is an ancient and often highly effective healing modality. The electric lamp sauna design using
red infrared lamps emits red, orange and yellow light. According to traditional color
concepts, the red end of the spectrum nourishes the adrenal glands, liver and
kidneys. It may also act on the
aura or emotional body. It also
moves the chi or vital energy downward from the head toward the lower centers
where it is usually deficient.
Most
any sauna can be fitted with lamps to add color therapy. With the body unclothed, the sauna is a
logical place to make use of this excellent healing method. More information about
color is found in Chapter 6.
6. More Vigorous Circulatory Effects
In
the lamp sauna design recommended in Appendix D, the lamps are all on one wall
of the sauna. One must rotate the
body 90ˇ every few minutes to
heat the entire body evenly. This
is more effort. However, it shunts
blood from one side of the body to another, vigorously enhancing the circulatory
effects of the sauna.
7. Deeper Tissue Penetration and More Yang
Therapy
Three
powerful infrared lamps heat the tissues up to three inches inside the body, we
believe. This is more than occurs
with most far infrared saunas that use 6-12 less powerful elements.
8. Ability to Focus Energy
At times it is most
helpful to be able to direct heat, light and infrared energy to a particular
area of the body, such as a stiff back or congested sinuses. One may do this to a slight degree in a
hot air or far infrared sauna by moving closer to a heat source. However, the heater in hot air saunas
is recessed, making it hard to approach.
The emitters or elements in a typical far infrared sauna are not
powerful enough to provide much of a boost, even if one sits close to them.
The
250-watt heat lamps in an infrared lamp sauna are very intense. By moving within 12 inches of one of
the lamps, one can enhance the heat, light and infrared penetration to a part
of the body. One must avoid
touching or splashing water on a hot lamp.
9.
Enhanced Effects on DNA
The greater intensity of
infrared and deeper tissue penetration of the infrared lamp sauna may increase
the death or disabling of mutated cells.
This assists regeneration of normal body tissue. This may be very important for those
with degenerative illnesses due to damaged DNA.
Effects On Body Organs And Systems
Saunas
have wide-ranging effects on many body organs and systems. This occurs because the sauna helps
remove toxic metals, toxic chemicals and chronic infections. The general effect is a normalization
of the functioning of the organs.
Following is a summary of more specific effects based on current
research. There is a great need
for more research on the saunaŐs effects.
Kidneys. Blood is shunted away from the kidneys during sweating and
directed toward the body surface.
The kidneysŐ burden lessens during sauna use as more water and toxins are
eliminated through sweating.
Repeated use helps rest and restore the kidneys.
Nervous
System. Sympathetic inhibition occurs during sauna use. This reduces the fight-or-flight
response, strengthens the parasympathetic system and relaxes the central
nervous system. Regular sauna use
has a wonderfully calming effect on the nervous system.
Liver. By shunting blood to the surface,
congestion of blood in the liver is reduced during sauna use. This can enhance the liverŐs
detoxification ability. By reducing
sympathetic nervous system activity, sauna use promotes bile secretion and
emptying of the gall bladder.
Spleen
and Pancreas. Sympathetic nervous inhibition increases pancreatic
secretion of enzymes and decreases insulin and glucagon secretion. Sauna use decreases the storage of
blood in the spleen, as more blood is shunted to the surface. This helps decrease congestion of the
spleen.
Immune
System. Sympathetic inhibition enhances some aspects of immune
system activity. Heating the body
several degrees can enhance white blood cell activity and disables
heat-sensitive microorganisms, assisting the elimination of many infections. Heating the body in a sauna may also
produce heat shock proteins that are powerful immune system stimulators.
Cardiovascular System. During a sauna session, the pulse and
stroke volume increase. Surface
vessels dilate as blood is shunted from internal organs to the surface. Blood pressure usually remains the same
or decreases during a session.
Repeated sauna use helps decrease elevated blood pressure by enhancing
elasticity of the arteries, removing toxins from the kidneys and helping to
reduce excessive sympathetic nervous system activity.
Endocrine
System. During sauna use, sympathetic inhibition causes decreased
secretion of adrenal and thyroid hormones. This rests the glands.
Blood sugar may decrease slightly.
Insulin and glucagon secretion decrease. The removal of toxic substances benefits the entire
endocrine system.
Kukkonen-Harjula
and Kauppinen studied the effects of sauna bathing on thyroxin and TSH. They found that if one cools the body
slowly after a session, there is no increase in these hormones. If cooling is fast, as in a cold
shower, TSH increases. This is
most likely simply a stress response and I do not recommend cold bathing after
a sauna, in part for this reason.
Digestive
System. Sympathetic inhibition may activate the digestive system
during sauna use. Elimination of
toxins from the liver and gall bladder may cause the need for a bowel movement
after or even during a sauna session.
Ulcers, colitis and intestinal infections may be helped greatly by repeated
heating and sympathetic inhibition.
Skin. Saunas cleanse the skin from the inside
and promote soft, pliable skin.
Saunas also promote the healing of many skin conditions including acne, dermatitis and eczema. Others may include scarring,
keloids, psoriasis and poisoning from too much sun exposure. Results may take several weeks to
several months or even a year or more.
However, some have reported excellent results with adult acne and other
conditions after just a few days use of an infrared lamp sauna.
Sympathetic
suppression and sweating cause the pores to open and decrease oil secretion by
the sebaceous glands. Repeated
heating is excellent to unblock clogged pores and reactivate skin that has become
inactive and congested with toxins from synthetic clothing, skin care products
and contact with toxic substances in bath water.
As
for more technical aspects of the skin, a center in the preoptic region of the
anterior hypothalamus controls temperature regulation. Heating causes vasodilation of all the
skin vessels of the body and causes sweating. Vasodilation occurs by inhibition of sympathetic nerve
fibers. The skin is also extremely
sensitive to circulating epinephrine and norepinephrine. A decrease in these will also cause
vasodilation.
According
to GuytonŐs Textbook of Medical
Physiology, sweating may cause additional vasodilation by a poorly-known
mechanism that may involve bradykinin, a powerful vasodilator.
Effects of Saunas on the Oxidation Rate
Saunas
have a normalizing effect on metabolism that will be reflected in measurements
such as the oxidation rate as determined by a properly performed hair mineral
analysis. The benefit occurs due
to eliminating toxins and heavy metals that can cause either sluggish or
excessive metabolic activity.
During
a sauna session thyroid and adrenal activity tend to decrease slightly, causing
a minor reduction in the metabolic rate.
Slow oxidizers often suffer from sympathetic nervous system exhaustion
and depleted adrenal and thyroid glands.
They benefit from the rest afforded to the glands during sauna use and
from the heating of the body, as their temperature is usually sub-normal. They need to use the sauna more often
and for longer time periods than fast oxidizers, whose body temperature is
already higher and who generally sweat more easily.
Saunas and Weight Loss
Weight loss or
gain may occur from sauna sessions.
Temporary weight loss occurs due to sweating. Reduction of edema due to improved circulation may also
cause loss of water weight. Some
weight loss will also occur due to elimination of unhealthy tissue. At least one study by M. Imamura et al.
found that patients with coronary risk factors lost significant weight after 15
minutes of sauna therapy daily for two weeks. Sauna therapy may also assist any weight loss program in the
following ways:
á
Repeated sauna use helps the body eliminate
chemical toxins and heavy metals stored in fatty tissues. Inability to remove these substances as
fatty tissues break down can be an important source of problems in weight loss
programs.
á
Fatty tissue often has poor circulation. Improving circulation with sauna
therapy may help break down fat deposits.
á
Repeated sauna use can help reduce cravings for
sweets, starches or fatty foods.
Often cravings are caused by toxic conditions and imbalances of the
adrenals, thyroid, pancreas, liver and other organs.
á
Improving the autonomic balance and body
chemistry through the removal of toxic metals and chemicals can improve the digestion
and absorption of nutrients. An
important reason for obesity can be the desire to obtain more nutrients.
á
Enhancing cellular metabolic processes can help
burn fat calories more efficiently.
Weight
gain may also occur in underweight individuals as glandular activity, digestion
and absorption of nutrients improve.
Do Saunas Burn Calories?
Some
claim that saunas burn hundreds of calories. I am not convinced of this. In a sauna session, the body does not have to burn calories
to generate heat, as is the case with fever. Thus, I believe, many fewer calories are burned in a sauna
than with a fever or with exercise.
If one burned up to 600 calories in a 30-minute sauna session, as
claimed, repeated sauna use would cause continuous weight loss. I have not observed this in practice.
Adding Energy To The Body
Saunas
truly add energy to the body in the form of heat and, in the case of infrared
saunas, light frequencies.
ŇEvidence indicates that cells absorb photons and transform their energy
into adenosine triphosphate or ATP.Ó (Interdisc.
J. Rehab., Jan/Feb 2004)
Heating The Acupuncture Meridians
In
oriental medicine, adding heat nourishes yang energy. This helps clear blockages and moves stagnant chi or
energy. One acupuncturist
described the effects of an infrared lamp sauna as similar to burning moxa on
the skin to heat the meridians.
Burning moxa is an acupuncture technique in which an herbal preparation
is burned on the skin to increase yang or fiery energy.
Comparison of Sauna Effects With Those of Related Therapies
Fever Therapies, Hot Baths, Hot Tubs and Steam Baths Versus Sauna Hyperthermia
Inducing
a fever has been used for hundreds of years as a method of healing many
physical and even mental conditions.
It is an excellent yet simple concept. The usual methods are to inject a person with pyrogenic or fever-producing
bacteria, have one lie in a hot bath or wrap a person in hot towels or blankets. These methods share certain qualities
with sauna hyperthermia, but are not the same in their effects, especially in
the case of infrared sauna therapy.
In
fever therapy due to the injection of bacteria, the body must produce the heat
it requires to fight the infection.
Producing this heat requires an increase in the metabolic rate with
adrenal and thyroid activation via the sympathetic nervous system. This uses a lot of energy, so the
therapy is exhausting and may therefore be less effective.
Also,
activation of the sympathetic nervous system has a somewhat inhibitory effect
on some aspects of the immune system.
In
sauna hyperthermia, as well as hot baths or the use of hot towels, heat is
supplied from without so the body does not have to expend energy to heat itself
up. There is no appreciable
increase in the metabolic or oxidation rate, no immune suppression and the
therapy is less exhausting.
Hot
baths, hot tubs and steam heat the body core very effectively by
conduction. However, sweating is a
little less intense due to the higher humidity. Also, temperature control is more difficult and delicate
with hot baths and overheating can occur easily.
Detoxification
can definitely occur with hot tubs and hot baths. One drawback to their repeated use is that chemical toxins
are absorbed from the water itself and perhaps from the chemicals used to
purify the water. Using steam, one
absorbs chlorine and perhaps hundreds of other volatile organic chemicals
present in tap water supplies. The
humidity in hot tubs and steam rooms also supports the growth of many
infection-causing bacteria.
Hot
tubs and steam rooms heat the body from the outside only, as do hot air saunas. Infrared saunas heat from the inside,
providing a more potent effect.
Electric Blankets Versus Saunas
Hyperthermia
treatment for cancer may involve wrapping the patient in electric blankets,
although at times a hot bath is used.
Body temperature is increased to 105-106ˇ F,
very close to the temperature at which brain damage occurs. A problem with electric blankets is
precisely controlling the temperature to make sure the patient does not
overheat. Vital body functions
must be carefully monitored.
Extremely rapid release of toxins and cellular debris may overwhelm the
eliminative organs. Dehydration is
possible with blankets. Electric
blankets also produce harmful electromagnetic fields.
Saunas
do not raise the temperature nearly this high. However, they are safer, able to be done at home and usually
do not require special and often costly monitoring. By gently and slowly reactivating the skin and the
eliminative organs, sauna therapy also helps ensure that toxins will be
eliminated safely.
Exercise Versus Saunas
Exercise
vigorous enough to raise body temperature and produce copious sweating is
exhausting for all but the most fit.
Vigorous exercise requires extreme sympathetic nervous system activity. This inhibits immune system activity
somewhat, can deplete the adrenal and thyroid glands and inhibits the organs of
elimination such as the liver and kidneys. For these reasons, although one sweats with vigorous
exercise, toxin elimination is less, we believe, than with sauna
hyperthermia. Exercise is still
helpful in moderation, but its effects are not at all the same as sauna
therapy. More research is vitally
needed regarding toxin elimination due to exercise versus that which occurs with infrared sauna
use.
Fasting Versus Saunas
As health director
for two and a half years at a fasting spa in Mexico, I worked with patients who
came for weight loss and detoxification, among other reasons. The results were mainly disappointing.
I did not understand at the time that
most people are far more depleted and toxic than when most of the classic texts
were written about fasting.
Especially long fasts often cause further nutritional depletion,
although symptomatic improvement may occur. I do not recommend long fasts. Fasting for a day or two is fine. Juice fasting is less depleting than fasting on water alone.
Saunas
can cause some mineral depletion.
However, this can be avoided by replenishing minerals through diet or
with kelp supplements. In our
experience, sauna therapy is much safer than fasting and much more effective as
well for deep tissue cleansing.
3
Heat Shock Proteins
ŇForty months ago I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma with intense bone pain, anemia and spinal
fractures. I was given three to
nine months to live and began a metabolic cancer therapy program. It included three sauna sessions daily
of 20-30 minutes each with an infrared lamp sauna.
Three
years later, I have lost three inches of height from the cancer where my spine
was fractured and I feel it when the weather changes. Otherwise, I am very well. The CEA (cancer marker) has dropped from 5.5 to 4.1.
I
was found to have lead poisoning.
The lead is gone, according to hair mineral testing and electrodermal
testing. I am continuing the
natural cancer therapy for a little longer and I know I will continue to use
the infrared lamp sauna on a maintenance basis forever. - Mr. C.S.,
Anchorage, Alaska
An
interesting area of medical research that may help explain some of the benefits
of sauna therapy is that of heat shock
proteins or HSPs. This chapter is a brief report on HSPs. Further research is needed to confirm
or disprove the effects of sauna therapy on HSP production.
Heat
shock proteins are special proteins found in all body cells that help
regenerate damaged cells. They
were first identified in the late 1970s and early 1980s in plant genetic
research. Since then they have
been found in all cells, from bacteria to humans.
Within
minutes of undergoing certain kinds of stress, production of normal cell
proteins ceases and instead HSPs are produced. It is as though the regular assembly line to produce
proteins in the cells shuts down and another line starts up that regenerates
the cell structures.
Once
begun, HSP production can last up to nine days. Stressors that may induce HSP production include ischemia,
influx of heavy metals or depletion of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). Others are protein degradation by
drugs, inflammation, or mechanical or chemical stress such as oxidant stress.
One
of the best inducers of the synthesis of heat shock proteins is heating the
body several degrees.
ŇThis stress response produces a
transient rearrangement of cellular activities to cope with the stress period
by protecting essential components within the cells so as to permit it to
resume normal activity during recovery from the stress...Heat, both
quantitatively and qualitatively, is one of the best inducers of heat stress
proteins.Ó (Heat Shock Proteins in
Myocardial Protection)
Renaturation
Proteins are chains
of amino acids that are bent, folded over and joined to each other in complex
ways. Denaturation is the general term for damage to these complex
structures. A simple example is
cooking an egg. The egg protein is
fairly liquid at room temperature.
It becomes hardened in a few minutes when cooked. This is due to damage or denaturing of
its protein structure.
HSPs
help refold and reassemble damaged proteins. This is called renaturation. They also bind to heavily damaged
proteins, preventing them from clumping or forming aggregates and shepherding
them to areas of the cell where they can be degraded and recycled. By so doing, they can also block
apoptosis or programmed cell death and can literally rescue cell proteins from
stress-related damage. As a result
of renaturing of proteins, all cell functions
can be restored, including energy production, immune system activity,
elimination, respiration and others.
A
crude analogy is that HSPs function like the police who are called in the event
of a disturbance. They clean up the mess and restore
order. They arrive in minutes and
stay around for a short while to make sure things are okay.
One
may ask, why does the body not produce HSPs all the time? Possible reasons include: 1) they are
not needed except in emergencies and 2) they use up large amounts of energy and
nutrients that are better spent in other ways. It would be like having the police sit at oneŐs door all the
time when there is no need for them.
Heat Shock Therapy
Injecting
HSPs can cause the bodyŐs T-cells to recognize a tumor and begin destroying
it. However, HSPs are very
specific for each person.
Researchers investigating HSPs as a cancer therapy are having
difficulty, therefore, producing HSPs that will work for everyone. Success in using heat shock proteins
for cancer therapy so far occurs when the researchers grind up the patientŐs
tumor, extract the patientŐs own HSPs and inject them back into the
patient. Sauna therapy has the
advantage of perhaps stimulating endogenous production of the exact HSPs each
person requires without requiring knowledge of the patientŐs symptoms or
condition.
I
have not found research on the absolute temperature or temperature above basal
temperature required to produce HSPs.
However, to raise body temperature several degrees requires that one be
in the second phase of a sauna session.
This usually means spending at least 40 minutes of continuous time in an
infrared lamp sauna. It would take
longer in a far infrared sauna and longer still, perhaps an hour, in a hot air
sauna.
Leaving
the sauna every half hour or less, or drinking a lot of cold water during the
sauna would likely impair production of HSPs. The less healthy the body, the easier it is to shock the
system and therefore the more likely HSPs will be produced.
Raising
the body temperature often causes fatigue. One should not leave a sauna just for this reason, as it may
be an indicator of a shift in cellular metabolism associated with HSP
production and cellular repair. To
achieve excellent results, the heating needs to be repeated at least every few
days to continue the process of cell repair.
A
far infrared or infrared lamp sauna should produce more HSPs in a shorter time
than a traditional sauna because heating occurs from inside the body. Perhaps this is one reason researchers
report more effective detoxification with infrared saunas.
Analogous Concepts
Most
readers know that if one places a frog in cool water and slowly adds hot water,
the frog will stay put and burn to death.
If, however, one drops a frog into hot water, the frog will immediately
jump out of the water.
Our
bodies degenerate slowly as they are chronically poisoned by heavy metals,
toxic chemicals, bacteria and other toxins. However, an acute shock such as a fever or heating in a
sauna may break the cycle by shifting the cells into a regenerative mode with
the production of HSPs. This may
be the value of fevers and acute illnesses. As people age or become debilitated, they are less able to
produce a fever and their health status declines more rapidly as a result.
Other Metabolic Effects
Heat
shock proteins help maintain the metabolic and structural integrity of
cells. They can protect the heart,
increase catalase activity and preserve high energy
phosphates. They also increase
antioxidant activity by enhancing glutathione production.
Research
indicates that heat shock protein deficiency may be involved in prion diseases
such as scrapie in sheep and bovine spongiform encephalitis (BSE) or mad cow
disease in animals and humans. Prions
are similar in some ways to heat shock proteins. Prions, in fact, protect organisms against ultra-violet
radiation.
HSPs and Nutrition
HSP
production appears to require the presence of extra nutrients, particularly
zinc and manganese. Zinc is required for RNA transferase, an
important enzyme involved in protein synthesis. Manganese is required for glycosyl transferase, a
manganese-specific enzyme involved in glucose utilization.
Failure
to produce HSPs in mad cow disease may be related to a manganese
deficiency. Ken Purdy in Great
Britain and other researchers found that cows with the disease had been doused
with Phosmet, an organophosphate warble fly insecticide that damages prions,
causing them to bind manganese.
This may leave less manganese available for HSP production. The symptoms of mad cow disease are
similar to the symptoms of Ômanganese madnessŐ found in manganese miners.
Deficiencies
of zinc and manganese are widespread in the population due to food grown on
mineral-depleted soils and refined food diets. Stress also rapidly depletes zinc. The best dietary sources of zinc are meats. Nuts and seeds are excellent dietary
sources of manganese. A healthful
diet and nutritional supplementation may enhance HSP production with sauna
therapy.
ColeyŐs Toxins and HSPs
Some
readers may be familiar with the cancer toxins developed by William Coley, MD. Although not a mainstream cancer therapy,
it was and is effective against some cases of cancer. Heat shock proteins are likely involved in this simple form
of fever therapy.
Dr.
Coley, a brilliant surgeon who worked at the Memorial Hospital in New York,
later to be called Sloane-Kettering Memorial Hospital, reviewed a case of a man
with a large round cell sarcoma on his neck. He had been declared hopeless when he developed a severe
infection with erysipelas. Within
a few days the huge malignant ulcer healed.
ColeyŐs
toxins are a combination of killed seratia
marcescens and streptococcus pyogenes and their endotoxins. When injected, they can produce a very
high fever. Within a few days,
tumors can shrink and the cancer go into remission. ColeyŐs toxins are still available at the Issels Treatment
Center in Tijuana, Mexico.
Currently,
researchers at UCLA are having some success injecting cancer patients with
malaria, another disease that causes high fevers.
Sauna Protocol and HSPs
Usually,
preheating an infrared light or far infrared sauna is unnecessary. However, for maximum HSP production
preheating is helpful. It will
raise body temperature faster to perhaps produce more HSPs. Further studies are needed to confirm
the correct temperature and time required to produce HSPs.
4
Sauna Protocol
ŇI am 70 years old. After a terrible car accident two years
ago, I was in constant pain.
The infrared lamp sauna stops the pain. I will at times get up at 4 AM and do a sauna. After 30 minutes, the pain is
gone. My sweat smells horrendous
at times. This is probably due to
the many medicines I took after the accident.
I
was wearing a wig, but now my hair has come back as thick as when I was
young. My nails, which were weak,
have also become very strong, and I also have fewer wrinkles.
My
husband noticed the joint pain in
his ankles and hips went away. He
walks better, he lost weight, he is happier and his golf game has
improved. My husband and I plan to
use the sauna regularly for the rest of our lives.Ó - Mrs.
A.W., Sun Lakes, Arizona
Types Of Saunas Used For Therapy
Any
type of sauna can be used for therapy. However, the results will differ:
á
Traditional
saunas are those heated by a wood-burning or gas stove, hot
rocks carried in from a fire, or an electric coil or gas heater.
á
Far
infrared saunas are heated by metallic or ceramic elements
that emit a narrow spectrum of mainly far infrared energy.
á
Infrared
lamp saunas use red, infrared heat lamps as their source of
radiant heat. They provide a wide
spectrum of infrared energy and some visible light as well.
Traditional Saunas
These
are the familiar saunas found at health clubs, spas and in many homes. They are basically a room with a
heater. Often the heater has a few
heated rocks on top, onto which one can throw water to create steam in the
sauna.
These
saunas heat only the surface of the body mainly by convection. They
operate at high temperatures of about 150-210ˇ F. Healthy people can safely spend several
hours daily in this type of sauna with supervision. These are the saunas used in L. Ron HubbardŐs ÔPurification
RundownŐ and many similar detoxification programs. They were the only ones
available at the time Mr. Hubbard developed his detoxification program.
L.
Ron Hubbard pioneered the specific use of traditional saunas for drug and
alcohol detoxification some 60 years ago.
Later the program was expanded to include detoxification of toxic
chemicals. The Foundation Of
Science And Education has carefully researched and published the results of
this program, which involves spending several hours per day in the sauna and
taking niacin, an oil blend and other supplements under close medical
supervision for several weeks or more.
Over 500,000 people have been through the program with excellent
results.
Many
centers have sprung up in the United States and elsewhere offering the Hubbard
Purification Rundown. The Hubbard
method of sauna detoxification remains by far the most widely used protocol for
sauna detoxification.
Far Infrared Saunas
Far
infrared saunas were introduced about 30 years ago. They have from 6 to 12 or more ceramic or metallic heating
elements in the walls of the sauna that emit mainly far infrared energy.
They
heat the body mainly by radiant energy,
warming the body from the inside as well as on the surface. Their energy penetrates into the body
up to about 1.5 inches, according to their research. For this reason, they are effective at lower temperatures of
about 130 ˇF. Research indicates they produce more
effective tissue cleansing due to the penetration of the infrared rays. The cooler temperature is more
comfortable for some people.
Far
infrared saunas require less preheating and the units are more energy efficient
than traditional saunas. Up to three hours per day spread out
over several sessions may be safe for most healthy adults in this type of
sauna. Power supplies and the
ceramic or metallic elements can emit significant electromagnetic fields.
Infrared Lamp Saunas
Infrared
lamp saunas are heated by three or more reddish-colored infrared heat
lamps. These are often the common
lamps sold at hardware stores.
They emit a spectrum of frequencies including near, middle and a little
far infrared energy. The energy peaks
in the near infrared range. The
lamps also emit some red, orange and yellow visible light.
The
use of this type of sauna is a focus of this book. Only a few companies offer them at this time. These are listed in the resource
section of this book and on our web site, www.drlwilson.com. This type of sauna can also be built
fairly easily and plans are provided later in the book.
Infrared
lamp saunas of the design we recommend penetrate deeper than the far infrared
type, up to about three inches inside the body, we believe. They are also the most energy efficient
and operate at the coolest temperature of about 110-115ˇ
F.
At
this time, we recommend spending a
maximum of two hours per day
spread out over at least two sessions in an infrared lamp sauna. One may experience excessive
detoxification symptoms or other effects of the light or infrared if one
remains inside more than two hours.
Also,
exercise caution regarding shining the lamps at the head. In most cases, the lamps should be
pointed at the chest and abdomen.
This is where the main organs of elimination and detoxification are
located. Exposure to the head for
20 minutes or less appears safe, however, for most people. Exposure to the head for a limited time
can also be very helpful for detoxification of the sinuses, ears, eyes, nasal
passages and the brain.
The
lamps do not emit significant electromagnetic fields. However, they produce intense heat and are somewhat
delicate. One must sit or lie down
18Ó to 30Ó from the lamps. Also,
one must place a wire mesh or other type of guard in front of the lamps to
avoid accidentally touching them.
I
am unaware of controlled studies comparing the effectiveness of the three
different types of saunas. These
studies are now in the planning stage.
Some basic differences between the three types of saunas are summarized
in the chart below.
Brief Comparison of The Three Types Of Saunas
|
|
Traditional
Sauna |
Far Infrared
Sauna |
Infrared Lamp
Sauna |
|
Operating Temperature |
150-210ˇ F |
120-140ˇ F |
110-115ˇ F |
|
Penetration of the Skin |
Little |
1.5 inches |
3 inches |
|
Preheating Time |
30-60 min. |
0-20 min |
0-20 min |
|
Infrared Benefits |
Little |
Some |
Most |
|
Color Therapy Benefits |
None |
None |
Yes |
|
Need To Rotate In The Sauna |
No |
No |
Yes |
|
Operating Expense |
Higher |
Medium |
Lowest |
Enclosures Versus Cabinets
In
a sauna room or full-body enclosure, the head is inside the sauna. A sauna cabinet looks like a steam cabinet and the head
is outside the sauna. A cabinet
will be somewhat less effective than a full-body enclosure although one can
still derive great benefit from it.
If
possible, it is best to expose the head to the heat and infrared energy. Cabinets are better for those who have
difficulty breathing in a sauna or who are claustrophobic. Many people who are claustrophobic can
learn to tolerate and even become comfortable in a full-body enclosure.
If
one has difficulty breathing with the head inside a sauna, one may open the
door slightly or breathe through a piece of flexible 1" outside diameter
plastic tubing that leads outside the enclosure through a ventilation
opening. Enclosures are discussed
in more detail in Chapter 12, Sauna Design.
Cost and Outfitting
Ready-made
traditional and infrared saunas range from $2000-6000.00. Many are quite elaborate, with
insulated, double-wall construction, built-in electronic controls and even
built-in stereo systems. Custom
built-in units are higher in price.
At the time of this printing, we offer an inexpensive canvas-covered
frame infrared lamp sauna for those with limited resources. Those with building experience can
construct this sauna for several hundred dollars or less. Basic plans are provided in Appendix D.
See our website, www.drlwilson.com for
details regarding companies that sell infrared lamp saunas.
One
can use a traditional sauna at a health club, clinic or health center. However, this is inconvenient because
it should be used daily or even twice daily. Having to drive back and forth is not optimal.
To
outfit a sauna for therapy, one may wish to add on top or inside a boom box or
small sound system for sound therapy.
An inside clock or timer is also helpful. Infrared lamps may be added to traditional or far infrared
saunas to provide extra infrared radiant energy and color therapy.
Steam
Some
people like steam in their sauna. Advantages of steam are that it raises
the temperature in a hot air sauna and thus helps induce sweating and other
effects. Steam also feels good to
some people. Throwing water on hot rocks adds negative ions that may make
breathing easier.
The
disadvantages of steam are that the added humidity causes one to sweat a little
less than when steam is not present.
Also, the added heat is difficult to tolerate for many people. Most important, one will absorb some
chemicals that are in the water that is used to make the steam. These include chlorine, fluorides and
possibly hundreds of volatile organic chemicals.
Steam
is not added to infrared saunas as it is not part of the design. Never throw water on the hot lamps of
an infrared lamp sauna.
When to Use a Sauna
For
greatest safety and healing effects, wait
one or better two hours after meals before a sauna session.
Also, first thing in the morning and the last thing at night are best
for sauna use. At these
times, one is most relaxed. This
produces the greatest detoxification effect. Activities, exercise and distractions in the middle of the
day often stimulate the sympathetic nervous system and interfere with the
saunaŐs healing effects. In
a healing facility, any time of the day is fine as long as it is one or two
hours after a meal.
How Often to Use a Sauna
Saunas are generally very
safe for most people. However,
very imbalanced tissue levels of calcium, magnesium, sodium or potassium could
make sauna use more hazardous. One
could sweat out enough of a vital mineral such as potassium to cause heart
arrhythmias or other metabolic problems.
I have not seen this in practice.
However, it is possible.
The
decision of how often to use saunas depends on the setting. In the residential detoxification
programs that follow the L. Ron Hubbard approach, one may spend up to five
hours daily in a traditional sauna.
I recommend Mr. HubbardŐs book, Clear
Body, Clear Mind for more details on this type of sauna therapy.
The
present book focuses on home use of infrared saunas without direct medical
supervision. For these programs,
most people can use a sauna once or twice daily. Weekly sauna use is more for maintenance, not therapy. Specific cautions and contraindications
are discussed at the end of this chapter.
If
you suspect serious tissue mineral imbalances, limit the duration of sauna
sessions at first to a maximum of 20 minutes until the imbalances improve. Also, begin with fewer sessions per
week and shorter sessions if very debilitated. For the very frail, one can begin with a milder
infrared experience by keeping the door open or sitting in front of infrared
lamps without an enclosure.