Are Infared Saunas Actually BAD For You?
These notes were generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies.
Infrared is a wonderful source of energy from the sun, benefiting humans for hundreds of thousands of years. Sun's infrared rays are short waves that penetrate superficially into the skin, creating a warmth that disappears in shade. Human-made infrared saunas use longer waves that penetrate deeper into muscles and bones, bypassing human adaptation to sun's infrared. No protection or acclimation to these deeper rays, which were never meant to reach deepest structures.
I'm the only one that seems to have a case of the ass over infrared saunas.
Recommend avoiding infrared saunas. If already owned, keep it but convert by adding a dry Finnish heating element to heat rocks, using traditional heat form beneficial for hundreds of thousands of years instead of penetrating infrared rays.
Spend your money on your house, not other crap.
Gyms like LA Fitness and YMCA use dry Finnish saunas, not infrared, possibly due to legal concerns about future cancer risks.
Do sauna every single day, 30 minutes typically (20-45 minutes max), brief and intense like hormesis.
Longest studies (most participants, longest duration, ~20,000 people over 20 years) on dry Finnish saunas at 174-175°F for 15-20 minutes:
- 1-2 times/week: 20% reduced mortality from heart attacks, strokes, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality.
- 4-7 times/week: 53% reduced cardiovascular mortality, 45% reduced all-cause mortality.
Dose-dependent: more frequent and longer sessions yield greater benefits, up to a point.
Dementia reduced by 65%, no effective treatments exist otherwise.
Physicians not trained on saunas or hormetic stressors (brief intense stressors: that which does not kill you makes you stronger). Trained to prescribe medicine, keeping patients sick for ongoing revenue.
Chronic disease healthcare is the largest part of the economy, incentivizing pathology, disease accumulation, and mortality.
Humanity has the most disease in species history right now. Use hormesis to improve and get stronger.
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