Saunas And Alzheimer’s: Is Sauna Effective For Alzheimer & Dementia?

Using saunas is often more than simply refreshing and relaxing. Sauna bathing may even help to reduce the chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease and also other conditions of dementia.

The frequency of sauna bathing has a great impact on health conditions like Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular health, and dementia.

There are some proven data available indicating how frequent sauna use is and what most favorable sauna temperature can guard you against Alzheimer’s and memory loss.

Studies even reveal that with the right frequency of sauna bathing, less than a half of your chronic diseases will vanish.

So, let’s dig deeper to find out the truth and know whether sauna bathing is effective for dementia protection and Alzheimer’s or not!

Infrared Light Bath Therapy: Is It Good For Alzheimer’s Disease?

Infrared light bath therapy is a gentle method for elderly persons, persons with Alzheimer’s, and those who are suffering from cardiovascular disease.

Infrared light saunas don’t need direct heat to be useful. It means that it’s a great therapy option for people who can’t do physical exercise or can’t tolerate excessive temperatures.

An infrared light sauna is better known as a simple light bath instead of a heat session in a heated room like in the traditional sauna.

Infrared saunas don’t rely on direct heat to be useful in their therapy of Alzheimer’s conditions. This’s perfect for those people who can’t tolerate extreme heat or are incapable of being exposed to heat.

Now bio-medical researchers and scientists can definitively explain the results of infrared light with studies conducted on mice. Here’s what bio-medical researchers and scientists have found:

(1) Cellular power, as explained in ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) production gets increased. The improved health of the mitochondria in particular cells was enhanced through exposure to infrared light, without using a heat source.

(2) Exposure to an infrared light source decreases levels of ‘tangles’ and ‘plaques’ in the brain (found in the patient’s brain of Alzheimer’s disease) thus, improving cognitive defects.

The 3 main underlying reasons for Alzheimer’s disease are believed to be:

• Neuronal death
• The growing existence of tangles and plaques in the brain
• Inflammation because of low functioning mitochondria is incapable of maximizing ATP production as well as oxygenating our brain.

Researchers and scientists in this area of biomedicine can measure that orientation to the spectrum infrared light therapy; (even without heat) comes with the power to reverse the 3 primary reasons for Alzheimer’s disease. Exposure to the infrared light session has these effects on the practitioner:

• Neurogenesis
• Reduces the culmination of tangles and plaques in the brain
• Maximizes ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) production by producing the mitochondria

Research and studies in the area of infrared light therapy and biomedicine are groundbreaking and revelatory in terms of functional therapy for the degenerative disorder of Alzheimer’s condition.

Infrared light therapy may address the causes of Alzheimer’s condition directly. Thus, making infrared light therapy a doable treatment both in the cessation and prevention of signs of Alzheimer’s condition.

---

Does Sauna Bathing Prevent Dementia And Alzheimer’s?

Although there no conclusive answers exist at this point as to why a sauna bathing session could prevent Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Maybe acquiescent body heating that occurs throughout a sauna bathing, causes beneficial health transformations that decrease the risk for Alzheimer’s and dementia. But now the question is how is it possible?

Well, passive body heat may trigger heat shock proteins. This heat shock protein assists and controls protein formation. Thus, abnormalities in protein folding, construction, and also degradation are common in Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

Therefore, frequent activation of the heat shock proteins can play a potential role in covering neurodegenerative transformations.

Other potential means linking decreased risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia with frequent sauna bathing include better sleep, lower risks of blood sugar, reduced inflammation, increased relaxation, and stress reduction.

Note:

A frequent sauna session is linked with decreased risk for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Sauna use might decrease the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease by decreasing its risk elements, such as vascular problems, hypertension, and inflammation.

---

What Is The Relationship Between Sauna Bathing And Dementia & Alzheimer’s

Alzheimer’s disease is mainly a discomfort for elderly persons. Sitting in the infrared sauna room at a lower temperature will envelop the person in a bath of infrared rays to develop the transformational results required to address the main causes of this disease.

High-frequency and regular exposure to an infrared light spectrum session will make an accumulative impact on high-functioning mitochondria (reduced inflammation and improved oxygenation of your body), neurogenesis (new brain cells creation), and the lessening of tangles and plaques found in the brain of Alzheimer’s patient.

Infrared saunas don’t depend on heat but instead on the light spectrum energy field to ignite the essential biochemical transformations in the body,

This helps to prevent and treat Alzheimer’s disease, therefore making it a perfect choice for those incapable of withstanding conventional heat therapy.

Here are a few tips you can follow depending on the existent evidence to get the maximum benefits of infrared sauna light bathing sessions:

• Avoid sauna bathing use in case you have critical asthma, infections, or some other breathing disorders
• Talk to your physician before using a sauna bathing in case you have low blood pressure or heart conditions
• Avoid consumption of alcohol before, during, or shortly after a sauna bathing session
• Drink a lot of water before, during, and after your sauna use
• Aim for a temperature that is between 80°C to 99°C
• Aim for sauna sessions that are around 5 to 14 min in duration (you can increase the time gradually later)
• Follow rules for your safety, including all the guidelines mandated by the operator of the sauna room

---

How Does Sauna Really Work To Deal With Brain Health?

Are your wondering how and why a sauna bathing session will help you to lower your risks of dementia disease?

The researchers said that although further research is required on the case, there are a few possible explanations related to “metabolic, physiological, and also cellular transformations which may impact brain function.”

To be particular, researchers say that a hasty elevation in body temperature leads to heat shock. This heat stroke causes the composition of something known as “heat shock proteins.”

They further explained that all these “are significant regulators in regular cell functions as well as have an indispensable role in protecting and controlling the formation of protein.

Because disorders of protein folding and construction are major to the growth of neurological conditions, heat shock proteins might be significant in supporting protein homeostasis in the human brain.”

In addition to this, saunas may enhance vascular function and cardiovascular function. And this lowers inflammation and boosts cerebral blood flow. The researchers also said that a few of the results of sauna in the human brain may be transmitted via decreased inflammation.

NOTE

Hence, Sauna really works to deal with brain health and reduce the effects of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

---

What Does The Evidence Say

Alas, there haven’t yet been any hit-or-miss controlled clinical tests to answer this question definitively.

Nevertheless, there are 2 observational studies indicating a link between reduced risk for Alzheimer’s with frequent sauna use.

The first analysis was conducted by an observational examination of around 2,315 healthy men (age 42 to 60) in Finland who were observed for an average of around 20.7 years.

In the conclusion, individuals who took the sauna bathing at least once a week, those with 2 to 3 times a week, and finally 4 to 7 times a week had around 21% & 66% lower risks for dementia.

And for Alzheimer’s patients specifically, the risks were 20% & 65% lower. The link between higher sauna bathing use as well as lower risks for dementia/Alzheimer’s remained valid even after holding for many aspects such as alcohol consumption, age, body mass index, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, chronic illnesses, and smoking status.

The 2nd study was a longer-term, larger study. This study included both women and men from Finland. Here, there were around 13,994 men & women (aged between 30-69). They were not suffering from issues with dementia at the enrollment time and were observed for around 39 years.

On the other hand, people who took the sauna session 0-4 times a month, and those who took it 9 to 12 times a month had around 21% more inferior risk of dementia especially after controlling for lifestyle, sociodemographic, and also metabolic risk factors of Alzheimer’s.

But individuals taking the sauna 13 to 30 times a month didn’t have a more inferior dementia risk. So, we can say that the most favorable sauna temperature and duration associated with reduced dementia risk were 5 to 14 minutes a session at temperatures between 80-99°C. More than 100 °C (Higher temperatures) were in fact linked with a higher risk for dementia disease.

The practical effects of sauna bathing have been associated with reduced inflammation, enhanced vascular function, and also lowered blood pressure. Thus, sauna bathing may reduce dementia risk and Alzheimer’s risks by decreasing risk factors like vascular problems, hypertension, and inflammation.

---

What Makes Infrared Sauna Therapy So Special?

In 1965, NASA studied the impacts of infrared light spectrum therapy on astronauts undergoing musculoskeletal atrophy after returning from space.

And that infrared light sauna therapy on astronauts had an undeniable influence in the area of biomedicine.

This has been revealed via NASA’s study on infrared light spectrum therapy that this therapy had long-lasting, profound health benefits with passive body heating on the general public as well.

Near, far, and mid-infrared light therapy is hidden from the eyes of common people before NASA’s research, but is participated kinetically as heat.

The radiant heat originating from an infrared spectrum is completely different from the traditional heat from traditional saunas. The infrared wavelengths enter the skin and into the body’s soft tissue.

This penetration of light sparks deep cellular transformation and this distinguishes infrared sauna therapy from other types of heat therapies. And all these make the infrared sauna so special.

---

Risk Factors Of Sauna Therapy For Brain Health

Although the experimenters discovered lower risks of dementia and Alzheimer’s in those people who used a sauna at least 3 times a week, they even observed that people who performed that in extreme temperatures were at particularly elevated risks of severe brain conditions.

Too high sauna heat is not good for our brains. Thus, those who were using the sauna in temperatures over 100°C [212°F] doubled as compared to those people who used the sauna at temperatures less than 80°C [176°F] during the initial 20 years of follow-up.

So, there are not many risk factors for using sauna baths but when you overdo this, you may face some risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s.

So, to avoid any kind of risk factors, you should limit your sauna baths. Not only does the frequency of sauna bathing, but also limit the temperature used for sauna baths. In this way, you can avoid the risk factor of sauna baths.

---

What Are The Safety Considerations To Take

The impacts of the traditional Finnish sauna bathing process on the chance of Alzheimer’s disease or/and other types of dementia were analyzed in the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease (KIHD) Risk Factor Study, involving over 2,000 mid-aged men in Finland.

Depending on their sauna-bathing habits and sauna bathing frequency, the participants of the study were divided into 3 batches: those practitioners taking sauna bathing once per week, those who are taking saunas 2 to 3 times per week, and finally those who are taking saunas 4 to 7 times per week.

The more repeatedly saunas were used, the lower the risks of dementia were. Among those people taking sauna bathing 4 to 7 times per week, the risks of any state of dementia were around 66% lower as well as the risks of Alzheimer’s condition were 65% lower than people who took sauna bathing just once per week. However, we can’t deny that there were some significant risks of dementia even after using the sauna.

However, you can reduce these risk factors by doing the following

• Avoid alcohol consumption and smoking before, during, or shortly after the sauna session
• Make sure you hydrate yourself well to prevent dehydration issues
• Do not use higher temperatures for your sauna baths
• It will be better if you try an infrared light sauna session for your brain health instead of traditional saunas.
• Avoid going to saunas when you are sick (for example, fever.)

---

FAQ On Sauna And Alzheimer’s

Following are the common questions on sauna and Alzheimer’s Disease.

Is Sauna Good For Alzheimer’s?

Yes. Sauna bathing is proved to be effective in lowering the effects of Alzheimer’s and dementia. Although it worked for many people, yet you are recommended to consult your physician before trying sauna bathing for your Alzheimer’s and dementia disease.

Does Sauna Help Brain Function?

The researchers said that although further research is required on the case, there are a few possible explanations related to “metabolic, physiological, and also cellular transformations which may impact brain function.

---

BOTTOM LINE

In the end, we can say that sauna bathing is indeed effective for lowering the effects of brain diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s.

If you develop dementia or Alzheimer’s, you can try a sauna to lower the risks. However, in that case, it is better to consult your physician first.

Sauna bathing not only helps in lowering the risks of Alzheimer’s and dementia disease but also has cognitive benefits, lowers blood pressure, protects you from cardiovascular disease, and so many more.

 

References

• alzdiscovery.org/cognitive-vitality/blog/can-using-the-sauna-reduce-risk-for-alzheimers-disease
• sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335520301790
• psychologytoday.com/us/blog/finding-new-home/202102/could-sauna-bathing-have-cognitive-benefits?amp
• beingpatient.com/saunas-dementia-risk-research/?amp
• bestlifeonline.com/news-sauna-dementia-risk/
• alzheimers.org.uk/news/2018-05-08/regular-saunas-could-reduce-risk-dementia-new-study-finds
• psychologytoday.com/us/blog/finding-new-home/202102/could-sauna-bathing-have-cognitive-benefits
• saunas.org/infrared-sauna-lower-alzheimers-risk/
• beingpatient.com/saunas-dementia-risk-research/
• nytimes.com/2016/12/21/well/mind/are-saunas-good-for-the-brain.html
• pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27932366/
• keto.swiss/post/saunas-for-alzheimer-s