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Infrared Sauna detox is a widely-used treatment in alternative medicine. Recently, it has received significant mainstream attention as a result of a movement toward natural and self-directed treatments. The leading sauna detoxification principle suggests that common illnesses are caused by the build-up of toxic substances in the body. Ridding the body of these toxins through a natural sauna detox may help relieve symptoms, prevent future illness and increase overall health and vitality.
Reports from the United States Center for Disease Control estimate that over 80% of all illnesses have causes rooted in personal environments or lifestyles. In an industrialized society, we can do little to reduce exposure to toxins in the air we breathe and the food we eat. As a result, sauna detox has become a leading treatment to achieve greater health and wellness.
Researchers have long known that toxic substances, including heavy metals, are secreted from the body through sweat. Therefore, the more one can safely sweat (while maintaining proper hydration), the greater quantity of toxins will be released from the body. Infrared sauna usage is one of the most effective methods of inducing a detoxifying sweat. In a sauna detox, sweat carries toxins out of the body through the pores.
The far-infrared heat generated by a Sunlighten sauna produces sweat that carries nearly 20% toxins. In a traditional sauna, you can only expect up to 3% toxins. A sauna detox in a Sunlighten sauna is up to 7 times more effective than in a traditional sauna. As a result, regular usage of a Sunlighten sauna provides a truly deep, productive and detoxifying sweat at the cellular level, where toxins reside.
In a recent study, our saunas were shown to promote weight loss by burning calories while you relax. Results from a 2009 study indicated that our saunas are beneficial for reducing weight and waist circumference in just 3-months. Those who are sedentary due to medical conditions such as osteoarthritis, cardiovascular or respiratory problems, results were even more profound. Another study showed that 30-minute infrared sauna weight loss sessions can burn upwards of 600 calories.
During a sauna weight loss session, your core temperature increases and the body works hard to cool itself. While using an infrared sauna, there is a substantial increase in heart rate, cardiac output and metabolic rate, causing the body to burn more calories. Blood flow is reported to rise from a normal 5-7 quarts per minute to as much as 13 quarts per minute. Regular use of a Sunlighten sauna may offer cardiovascular conditioning and burning of calories, akin to regular exercise.
Sunlighten infrared sauna heat works by penetrating joints, muscles and tissues, increasing circulation and speeding oxygen flow. By reducing soreness on nerve endings, our infrared heat reduces muscle spasms and helps the body heal itself naturally. For years, doctors have recommended Sunlighten saunas because of proven relief from sports injury, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, arthritis and other chronic pain conditions. According to Dr. Jeffrey Spencer, a sports medicine expert from the University of Southern California, “infrared wavelengths penetrate the body to create heat, which creates profound therapeutic benefits. They increase blood flow to the muscles, delivering more concentrated oxygen, which creates more energy to heal.”
A recent study showed that chronic pain patients experienced a nearly 70% reduction in pain levels after the first session of infrared sauna therapy. Finally, a 2003 study showed that use of near-infrared heat therapy helped the production of white blood cells to alleviate inflammation and reduce swelling, two key factors in easing bodily pain.
As part of a blood pressure therapy program, regular use of an infrared sauna is good for your heart! In the U.S. alone, one in three adults suffers from heart disease or stroke in their lifetime. High blood pressure increases your risk of getting heart disease, kidney disease or serious stroke. Only Sunlighten saunas have been clinically determined to provide one of the best, natural ways to lower blood pressure. In a 2005 study, Sunlighten’s Solocarbon heaters were shown to lower blood pressure through a program of 30 minute infrared sauna sessions 3 times per week. The study concluded that infrared sauna therapy dilated blood vessels and reduced the volume of their inner lining. This allows for increased circulation to promote healthy blood pressure.
Additionaly, a 2008 study compared the safety and effectiveness of infrared therapy to standard therapies for patients with chronic heart failure. The report concluded that far-infrared sauna therapy safely improves cardiac symptoms, function and decreasing cardiac size in patients. Repeated infrared sauna treatments improved impaired blood vessel functions in patients with high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. This suggests a preventive role for infrared sauna use for arteriosclerosis.
Infrared Sauna use is showing to have promising beneficial effects on skin health as well. One study showed significant improvements in skin appearance after just 12 weeks of near-infrared sauna therapy. Participants experienced the following outcomes:
Sunlighten’s Solocarbon Custom Spectrum is the only infrared sauna heater on the market with near-infrared technology!
Sunlighten infrared therapy stimulates the circulatory system. This causes the heart to beat more vigorously and blood vessels to dilate. As a result, the circulatory system is stimulated allowing the body’s cells to more fully oxygenate. Better blood circulation means more toxins flow from the cellular level to the skin’s surface. This improves cell health, aid in muscle recovery and strengthen the immune system. Sunlighten’s research-backed near infrared heating technology can strengthen the immune system. In fact, a NASA study showed this same near infrared therapy, delivered by LEDs deep into body tissue, can quadruple cell health and tissue growth.
According to The Doctor’s Prescription for Healthy Living, Sunlighten’s infrared heat is one of the best treatments for sprains, strains, muscle spasms, and other injuries associated with sports because it works by penetrating joints, muscles and tissues, speeding oxygen flow and increasing circulation.
Long-term stress is the cause of countless physiological effects on the body, including increased blood pressure, weight gain and weakening of the immune system. The more stressed you are, the more cortisol your body produces. Cortisol is a “fight or flight” hormone made in the adrenal glands that raises heart rate and blood pressure and leads to the deposit of excess calories in the midsection. Scientific evidence also shows that infrared sauna therapy helps the body maintain healthy levels of cortisol. While cortisol levels stay the same or rise slightly during a sauna therapy session, they drop immediately afterward. In fact, the saunas we use have been clinically shown to reduce both systolic and diastolic blood pressure with regular use.
The total number of treatments varies among individuals depends on their overall health goal. Contact us to schedule your infrared sauna session. Not sure if this therapy is right for you? Schedule a complimentary consultation with our Wellness Director to learn more about how we can help you reach your health goals!