Saunas help you sleep better, lose weight, detox your body and relax sore muscles. Did you know, however, that frequent sauna usage can also improve your cardiovascular health and reduce the risk of heart attack?
An observation performed by researchers at the University of Eastern Finland kept track of 2,300 middle-aged men over a span of about 20 years. The results, published by JAMA Internal Medicine, reported that the men spent an average of 14 minutes with each visit to the sauna, with the heat set at about 175°F. Observations revealed that:
- 49% of men who used a sauna once a week died during the study
- 38% of men who used a sauna no more than three times a week died during the study
- 31% of men who used a sauna four to seven times a week died during the study
“The cardiovascular effects of sauna have been well documented in the past. It lowers blood pressure, and there is every reason to believe that its effects are good for blood vessels,” says Dr. Thomas H. Lee, a cardiologist at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital and founding editor of the Harvard Heart Letter. In fact, Dr. Lee’s assessment is spot on according to this Finland study, which concluded that: “Increased frequency of sauna bathing is associated with a reduced risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD), fatal coronary heart disease (CHD), fatal cardiovascular disease (CVD), and all-cause mortality. Further studies are warranted to establish the potential mechanism that links sauna bathing and cardiovascular health.”