Saunas and Detox

[Guest guest]

One thing I wanted to mention with this article....when I had my

bladder infection, I used my sauna 3 times a day for two days,

thinking that I was going to get rid of a bunch of junk. Actually

what I did was dehydrate myself (not drinking enough water) and made

my kidneys work too hard! So my advice: Drink tons of water! If

you think you've had enough, drink one more glass!

To Sweat or Not to Sweat? Saunas and Detoxification

ImmuneSupport.com

http://www.immunesupport.com/library/showarticle.cfm/ID/6900

12-21-2005

SAN ANSELMO, Calif./EWORLDWIRE/Dec. 19, 2005 --- Toxins are

everywhere, in the water, air, food, soaps, shampoos and even

clothes. Toxins have been directly linked with a host of diseases:

cancer, lowered immune function, arthritis, autism, fibromyalgia,

alzheimers, neurological and cardiovascular disorders. It is a

problem that is not going away, that is why people need to detoxify.

Sherry MD, in her book, Detox or Die, says toxicity is a one-

way street leading to disease; the key to healing the impossible is

to reverse the toxicity. There are several methods being used today:

chelation, where enzyme preparations are injected into the

bloodstream, binding toxins as they pass through and are excreted;

fasting, with or without herbal and mineral preparations and/or

colonics to help to remove toxins; and saunas, removing toxins

through sweating.

Whereas the first two methods are suitable for persons with a high

degree of dedication and/or discipline, the infrared sauna method is

one that can be used easily and effectively by almost everyone. And

it can be used in conjunction with the other methods of fasting,

colonics and chelation. Francis, in his book, Never be Sick

Again, states, " Saunas get your heart beating and your blood

circulating, helping the body to detoxify in unique and important

ways. "

Today, there are many types of sauna and steam available for almost

any budget and location. Some use conventional steam, some use

heated rocks and others use efficient infrared heaters. The

effectiveness of the detox will depend on the type of heat chosen

and the protocol employed. In her book, Some Like It Hot, Nicola

Rajala describes the major difference between the steam room and the

conventional sauna.

Although the steam room feels hotter because of the high humidity,

the body actually has a harder time sweating because of the

relatively low temperature (120 Fahrenheit). The water on the skin

is primarily condensation rather than actual sweat. The

conventional " box of hot rocks " sauna is still very common today,

but it seems to be losing ground due to the many advantages of

infrared saunas such as energy efficiency, comfort in use, deeper

penetration of heat and more substantial detox.

A study analyzing the chemical composition of sweat found that the

sweat of participants using the box of hot rocks sauna had 95-97

percent water, while the sweat of those using an infrared sauna was

80-85 percent water - the rest being composed of cholesterol, fat-

soluble toxins, heavy metals (such as mercury and cadmium), sulfuric

acid, ammonia, sodium and uric acid.

In the book Beyond Antibiotics, Drs. A. Schmidt et al. state

the following: " Saunas are being used by some doctors to stimulate

the release of toxins from the bodies of their patients. They have

found that a lower temperature (105-110 Fahrenheit) sauna taken for

a longer duration is most beneficial. These low temperatures

stimulate a fat sweat, which eliminates toxins stored in fat, as

opposed to the high temperature sauna, which encourages a water

sweat. "

As with any regimen, always consult with a doctor first, and it is

important to start out slowly, drink enough water, and take a good

multi-vitamin and multi-mineral and to wash off any sweat after the

session to prevent toxins from being re-absorbed.

SOURCE: Sauna Works