Looking for a Good Sauna (source from www.sauna101.com)

Saunas are becoming a popular feature in new homes in the US, as well as a retrofit or project or remodel in existing homes. The health benefits of sauna are numerous and have been well known in Europe for many years.

However, it can be frustrating wading through lots of product information when evaluating the right sauna for you and your family. Sauna websites sometimes list unfamiliar terminology, features and options, with no way of knowing what's important and the differences between sauna types.

This website will help you become familiar with the various types of saunas and steam rooms for the home, options for sauna construction, accessories and other relevant information. In this way, you can learn what you need to know about saunas before you make a buying decision.

You may not end up buying the most expensive, feature-laden sauna, but you'll make a more educated decision, and you'll get the most saunas for your money.

INFRARED THERMAL SYSTEM FOR WHOLE-BODY RADIANT ENERGY (source from http://www.nihadc.com/spa2_infrared.htm)

The Infrared Sauna System delivers the same infrared rays experienced in the traditional American Indian sweat lodge. The cleansing and purifying benefits attributed to the traditional sweat lodges in American Indian and Scandinavian cultures have long been known. Infrared heat is simply a form of energy that heats the object directly, without having to heat the air in between. The skin is our largest organ and is responsible for eliminating up to 30% of body wastes. Infrared heat causes toxins to be released from the cells and exit the body through the sweat glands without burdening the liver and kidneys.

Our bodies react to the increased heating through the natural cooling process of perspiring. Through the perspiration process, acid and waste residue like toxins, sodium, alcohol, nicotine, cholesterol and the potentially carcinogenic heavy metals are removed from the cells (especially zinc, lead, nickel, cadmium etc.). As the pores of our skin open and discharge waste products, the skin sheds any old skin cells, leaving it glowing and immaculately clean, with improved tone, elasticity, texture and color.

Sweat your way to a healthier heart - and a better sex life - in four weeks or less
by Jonathan V. Wright (source from http://www.gersonhawaii.us/gersonarticle9.html)

Chemical analysis showed greater amounts of a substance called nitric oxide syntheses in the endothelial (lining) cells of the aorta, as well as the coronary, carotid, and femoral arteries of the hamsters that got the real sauna treatments. The reason this finding is so important is that increased levels of nitric oxide syntheses will produce more nitric oxide. Nitric oxide dilates coronary arteries, helping to improve heart function. That's good news on it's own, but it gets even better.

More detailed analysis showed a 40-fold increase in nitric oxide syntheses in the endothelial cells of the aorta after just one week. After four weeks of treatment, the increase leveled off but steadied at 50 percent.

Saunas tackle congestive heart failure, arteriosclerosis, and hypertension

The researchers treated 20 congestive heart failure patients with far infrared sauna daily for two weeks. They were compared with 10 "control-group" individuals, matched for age, sex, and degree of heart failure (according to the widely accepted New York Heart Association (NYHA)'s classification system.

After just two weeks of far infrared treatment, 17 of 20 sauna-treated individuals had significant improvement in clinical symptoms. Their ultrasound evaluations and blood tests were also significantly better. None of the 10 control group individuals had any change.

Previously, the same researchers had studied 25 younger men (ages 31-45) with one or more "coronary risk factors," including diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, and smoking. They were compared with 10 healthy younger men (ages 27-43) who had none of these risk factors. Compared with the "normal" men, the men with risk factors had impaired blood vessel dilation. After just two weeks of daily far infrared sauna treatments, the risk-factor group had very significant improvements in blood vessel dilation. The researchers wrote that these results "suggest a therapeutic role for [far infrared] sauna therapy in patients with risk factors for arteriosclerosis."

Given the hamster-in-the-sauna results, it's very likely that the improved blood vessel dilation in the men with cardiovascular risk factors resulted from higher levels of nitric oxide syntheses.

Although none of the studies have measured it specifically, far infrared sauna therapy will very likely lower blood pressure for many individuals too. This theory makes sense, since the mechanism of action is the same as in congestive heart failure: An increase in nitric oxide dilates blood vessels and lowers blood pressure. If the studies I mentioned above are any indicator, it shouldn't take long to find out, either, since the effects in both hamsters and humans occurred in just twoto four weeks.

Even though there's no clinical proof yet, I also think it is very likely that combining the amino acid L-arginine (another precursor of nitric oxide) with far infrared sauna therapy would produce even better results than either therapy alone - whether you are using it for hypertension or congestive heart failure.

This article is reprinted from Dr. Jonathan V. Wright's. Nutrition and Healing Vol.10, issue 12. December 2003, with permission of the author

Infrared heaters and your health (source from http://cankar.org/sauna/health/ir_health.html)

I have no first hand experience with infrared (IR) heaters in saunas. Also, as a fan of the traditional Finnish sauna, the following opinion is biased. On the other hand, most of the information available on IR heaters online comes from the heater manufacturers, which are not exactly neutral either.

How does infrared work?

In an IR sauna an infrared radiator is used to send heat directly to the skin of the bather in the form of radiated heat (infrared electromagnetic radiation, essentially the same kind of radiated heat we get from the sun or a hot lightbulb). This radiation is invisible to the naked eye. It is also entirely harmless - as a matter of fact, just about everything radiates infrared waves, in more or less intense ways.

When infrared rays hit your skin, they transfer heat energy to it. Your skin temperature goes up and the you react by starting to sweat.

By comparison, the traditional Finnish sauna uses a combination of radiation, conduction and convection to transfer energy to the bather's body (from the heater's stones and the room's walls, from the loyly and from the airflow, respectively).

How does it affect you?

The health benefits usually claimed (for both kinds of saunas) include improved blood circulation and hence a stronger cardiovascular system, a cleansing of the body, and finally loss of weight. Few of these health benefits have been scientifically proven. You will find my opinions on these claims on the page discussing health issues.

Locally administered infrared is used as treatment for some skin diseases and tissue traumas with varying success. The most successful use so far seems to be the application of infrared rays to help ease the joint pain and stiffness of arthritis patients. Here infrared has several benefits over conductive heat transfer (hot wrap etc). Infrared radiation penetrates the skin while it is being absorbed. In effect, it heats the skin and muscle tissue from the inside. This is very much a benefit for arthritis patients, whose pain is often very localised.

Although infrared rays are the same kind of electromagnetic waves as light, microwave, UV or x-rays, you have very little to fear. Unless you are given painfully strong levels of radiated heat, your skin is entirely ok with it. Remember that the heat we feel from the sun is infrared radiation and we're ok with that as well. Thorough studies on the effects of infrared radiation are hard to find. There is one study on page 11 of this correspondence of the Journal of American Medical Association.

Created by and copyright c Mihael Cankar. Art by Danny Eden.
All rights reserved. Latest retouch February 20, 2003.

http://infraredsauna.lifetips.com/cat/60486/sauna-benefits/

My Tips and Advice: Sauna Benefits

http://www.balancedlives.net/altmed.htm

Warming Up to
Far Infrared
by D.J. Fletcher
Alternative Medicine Magazine

Popular in parts of Asia and Europe for more than a decade, therapies and healthcare products based on far-infrared technologies are making their way into North America.

WHAT DO KNEE WRAPS, CAPS, QUILTS, MATS, HAIR DRYERS, SOCKS AND SAUNAS HAVE IN COMMON?

If you say they warm you up, you're on the right track. But if you know that all these objects and more are now being designed to radiate far-infrared light--an important energy force that promotes healing--you're among a growing number of people who are onto new techniques in energy medicine.
Perhaps one should say old techniques but new technologies. After all, the body's use of infrared rays is literally as old as our species. Traditionally we've gotten our daily dose of infrared from sunlight, which is composed of all the energy wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum (see Quick Definition). Today we're seeing new technologies employing far-infrared energy in healthcare products and in clinical protocols such as hyperthermic therapies for detoxification and cancer treatment (see Alternative Medicine issue 37, "Too Hot for Cancer").

Energy medicine is very old, too--at least as old as the first Qigong masters and other ancient practitioners of healing touch therapies. These healers all had in common the ability to emit energy through their hands, and so do many modern day healers, such as Dolores Krieger, Ph.D., R.N., who began teaching healing touch techniques in the U.S. in the 1970s. Contemporary researchers have now proved that these forms of energy medicine use wavelengths in the infrared range.
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In a study at the National Yang-Ming Medical College in Taipei, Taiwan, published in the American Journal of Chinese Medicine in 1991, researchers measured the energy Qigong masters emit from their palms. The researchers employed electronic detection equipment but were also able to detect infrared energy by a rise in air temperature near the masters' palms. The study showed that emitted infrared Qi, or Chi (pronounced "chee" and essentially meaning energy in Traditional Chinese Medicine), has positive effects on human fibroblasts, the cells that rebuild connective tissue. The study also showed that infrared Chi stimulated a significant increase in cell growth, DNA synthesis and protein synthesis in cells.

In this representation of the electromagnetic spectrum, we see that infrared wavelengths are just below ("infra") visible red light. The infrared (IR) portion is further divided into three segments of wavelengths, which are often measured in microns, or micrometers. (A micron is equal to one millionth of a meter.) The near-IR segment is 0.076 to 1.5 microns; middle-IR is 1.5 to 5.6 microns; and far-IR is 5.6 to 1,000 microns.

QUICK DEFINITION

The electromagnetic spectrum is the entire range of radiant energies, measured as waves or frequencies. Electromagnetic refers to the ability to exist as both particle (matter) and wave (energy). The spectrum is usually divided into seven sections, from the longest to the shortest wavelengths: radio, microwave, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, x-ray, and gamma-ray radiation.

Researchers in Japan have also performed studies of this infrared energy from the human palm, which they call Kikoh. At the Niwa Institute for Immunology in Tosashimizu, Japan, researchers examined Kikoh as well as materials that emit far-infrared radiation, including common granite stone, tourmaline (a type of granite), ceramic disks and hot spring water. In findings published in 1993 in the International Journal of Biometeorology, they reported that materials emitting far-infrared (FIR) energy appear capable of potentiating functions of white blood cells. These functions include increased immune defense response in which white blood cells surround and ingest small living things (such as bacteria) and cell wastes.
There's at least one startling connection between the infrared Chi of healing hands and far-infrared products like the knee wrap. In a situation in which you've pulled a ligament or muscle, for instance, the knee wrap can become the healing hands. Both employ the same healing mechanism: They stimulate a degree of inflammation--a positive sign that fibroblasts are doing their job. Most people don't realize that inflammation is necessary for a period of time to heal such injuries, and they suppress this natural healing process by overusing ice and ibuprofen. Instead, the FIR wrap helps to trigger healing by radiating far-infrared energy through its special ceramic-coated fibers and gently but deeply warming the injury site.

But is this warming effect different from that of a hot water bottle or heating pad? Yes, the vibrational energy of far-infrared light is unlike that of the heat energy we use, for example, in cooking. Think of it as the difference between leaning over a pot of boiling water and standing outside in the sunlight. Steam from boiling water can burn the skin but it doesn't heat internal organs. Sunlight heats us in a profound way, however, because it contains penetrating far-infrared rays as well as the full range of energy in the electromagnetic spectrum.

Everything in the universe emits and absorbs certain wave energies. If we look at a graphic representation of the electromagnetic spectrum (see illustration), we see that infrared waves are longer than those in the visible range, falling just below ("infra") visible red light in the spectrum. Although the wavelengths of far-infrared are too long for our eyes to perceive, we experience the energy as gentle radiant heat.

At the molecular level, FIR exerts strong rotational and vibrational effects that are either biologically benign or, in certain processes, biologically beneficial. This healing ability stands in contrast to the damaging effects of short wavelengths, such as X-rays and gamma rays. The molecular effects of FIR are actually measurable through IR spectroscopy, a method of analyzing the emission and absorption of infrared light that reveals changes in atoms and molecules caused by IR energy. In healthcare, these effects are being harnessed to promote healing.

Humans, like other living organisms, have evolved to have a unique absorption spectrum and to respond specifically to particular electromagnetic wavelengths (EMWs). German professor Fritz Hollwich, Ph.D., conducted a study in the 1970s showing that individuals who sat under cool-white fluorescent lighting had elevated levels of the stress hormones ACTH and cortisol. There was no such stress response in individuals who sat under full-spectrum lights that simulated sunlight. (As a result of studies like this, the fluorescent lights are legally banned in German hospitals and medical facilities.) Dr. Hollwich's study is one of many that have shown that light has stimulatory and regulatory effects on biological systems.
Leon M. Silverstone, D.D.Sc., Ph.D., B.Ch.D., L.D.S., R.C.S., is a contemporary expert on many of the effects of EMWs. Much of his research, first in England and now in the U.S., has focused on developing non-invasive devices for neuromodulation of disorders such as clinical tremor and chronic pain. Dr. Silverstone explains that solar light energy is transmitted to the brain by nerve endings in the skin. "These energy impulses stimulate the hypothalamus," he says, "And this has an important controlling effect on the production of neurochemicals. Given that neurochemicals regulate processes such as blood pressure, immune response, sleep, mood, and so on, there is little doubt that we exacerbate a wide range of health problems by spending the greater part of our lives indoors under inadequate lighting conditions."

Far-infrared light penetrates beyond the skin level and is absorbed efficiently by cells below, whereas visible light is mostly bounced off the skin surface. Near infrared is mostly absorbed at the skin level and raises the skin temperature. Far infrared can penetrate up to 4 centimeters (about 1-1/2 inches), exciting the vibrational energy of molecules and resonating with cellular frequencies. We can't exactly perceive the deep heating effects of FIR, though, because our body's ability to sense heat is mainly at the skin level. Nonetheless, the effects of FIR rays promote bioprocesses such as increased metabolism and blood circulation, and can raise core body temperature. NASA certainly understood some of these effects when it developed FIR materials for radiant heat during space travel. Hospitals have also taken advantage of some of these properties to keep newborn babies warm using FIR materials around incubators.

Studies have been done--predominantly in Asia and Europe over the past few decades--to advance the understanding of FIR in bioprocesses. A fundamental finding from classical studies is that FIR appears to have "normalization effects" on living organisms. In a recent study at the Experimental Animal Research Laboratory at Meiji University in Japan, researchers found that mice in a group exposed to FIR had a significantly higher survival rate than that of the control group.

Findings like these don't surprise Fred Slingo, founder of 21st Century Innovative Products and a pioneer U.S. importer of FIR products and information. Slingo has spent a lot of time talking to researchers, reading FIR studies and keeping up with the many U.S. patents for FIR products being applied for, especially by the Japanese. He says he and his colleagues are constantly investigating new FIR products.

WRAPS FROM HEAD TO TOE--AND MORE

Wraps are just one of many types of FIR healthcare products popularized over the last decade in Asian countries. Of course, you might not warm up to all the health claims until you fully absorb the principles of FIR or try a self-care product yourself. But as Dr. Silverstone explains, "The mechanism of action is in some ways simple. It is related to vasodilation, or increased blood flow and local temperature. The penetrating infrared energy brings nutrients and oxygen to the soft tissue region being treated and at the same time stimulates the removal of accumulated toxins. Also, far infrared has an ionizing effect. The many studies of the relationship between negative ions and health have shown that these effects are beneficial."

Far-infrared (FIR) wraps can be used to promote localized healing in different parts of the body. The wraps radiate far-infrared energy through their special ceramic-coated fibers, thereby gently but deeply warming the injury site.

Some FIR products are already available in North America, while the list used in Asia is quite long. It includes waist protectors to reduce stomachache, menstrual discomfort, chronic intestinal inflammation, baby diarrhea and stomach cold caused by kidney weakness; underwear to reduce prostatitis, vaginitis, hives (urticaria), psoriasis and jock itch; socks to get rid of foot aches, offensive smell, sweaty feet and phlebitis; and caps to reduce dandruff, high blood pressure, nervous exhaustion and migraine. There are also "thermowear" FIR long johns and vests filled with ceramic-reflective materials that, if not yet proven therapeutic, will surely keep you warm.

But that's not all. FIR brassieres have been invented to help eliminate mastitis (inflammation of the breast) and to improve lymph circulation and lactation. At the Osaka City Perinatal Center in Japan, the vasodilating and warming effects of far-infrared energy on the breast were studied. The researchers reported their results in the Annals of Physiological Anthropology in 1990, concluding, "ceramics far-infrared radiation may be an effective remedy for enhancing lactation."

In studies, the vasodilating and warming effects of far-infrared brassieres have been found to help eliminate mastitis and to improve lymph circulation and lactation.

There are even quick-cooking FIR ovens that replace microwave ovens and are said to kill E. coli bacteria. Some years back there began experiments with different IR spectra used to kill harmful microorganisms. This has translated into several healthy household products--including FIR-coated plates that kill bacteria, FIR-emitting paints and wallpaper that kill molds, and FIR shower filters. "The filters use FIR emissions combined with Paragon's filtration technology to keep chlorine from forming harmful vapors and also to prevent soap scum build-up on shower walls," says Fred Slingo. "The shower filter is actually a water treatment device that removes undesirable substances and reduces the surface tension of the water, which allows a complete rinse and has a much less drying effect on the skin and hair."

Then there are the "bioenergetic" FIR mattresses, mats and quilts, which have been said to clear up insomnia, fatigue, menopausal symptoms, high blood pressure, thrombus and arteriosclerotic occlusions and more. In a study by Japanese researchers S. Inoue and M. Kabaya, published in 1989 in the International Journal of Biometeorology, questionnaires were sent to 542 users of bedclothes with embedded FIR radiator disks (the ceramic disks that emit FIR in the 4 to 16 micron range). The majority of respondents said they saw an improvement in their health. The researchers concluded that "these effects on living organisms appear to be non-specifically triggered by an exposure to far-infrared rays, which eventually induce an increase in temperature of the body tissues or, more basically, an elevated motility of body fluids due to decrease in size of water clusters."  

The upper torso FIR wrap covers the upper back, shoulders and rotator cuffs, and promotes axillary lymph circulation. The ceramic powders, coatings and disks used in FIR products and textiles are made of natural minerals, such as silicates, that transmit far-infrared wavelengths. The powders can be fused into various polypropylene fabrics, and the textiles are engineered so that washing does not reduce the FIR effects. There are also devices utilizing ceramic-coated quartz lamps and heating wires that emit FIR wavelengths.

http://www.goldismoney.info/forums/showthread.php?p=124073#post124073

Infrared Electric Light Sauna Therapy
by Dr. Lawrence Wilson and Megan Lorimer

Over the past three years, we have experimented with the use of sauna therapy to remove toxic metals, toxic chemicals and chronic infections. In particular, we developed a very low-cost infrared electric light sauna. The results are most impressive. We now recommend sauna therapy for all clients.

The following is excerpted from a new book, Sauna Therapy, with 16 chapters on sauna physiology, procedures, protocols, cautions, construction details and many references for sauna therapy.

Infrared electric light sauna therapy is one of the least costly, safest and most powerful ways to eliminate toxic metals, toxic chemicals and chronic infections. The benefits include:

* Skin rejuvenation. Sauna use slowly restores elimination through the skin. The skin is the largest organ of the body and a major eliminative channel. In most people, it is inactive, congested and toxic. Sun exposure, use of synthetic clothing, bathing in chlorinated water and exposure to hundreds of chemicals damage the skin. Excessive sympathetic nervous system activity and emotions such as fear, anger and guilt cause blood to be withdrawn from the skin, contributing to inactivity of the skin.

* Enhanced sweating. Sweating in a sauna is a by-product of applying heat to the body. The sweating process gently and safely helps eliminate all heavy metals and toxic chemicals. Medical studies demonstrate that most toxins can be eliminated through the skin, relieving the burden on the kidneys and liver. Sweating increases dramatically in most people after several months of daily sauna use.

Sweating during exercise is not nearly as effective for detoxification because exercise activates the sympathetic nervous system. Sympathetic nervous activity inhibits toxin elimination.

* Exercise benefits. Saunas provide many of the benefits of exercise with much less expenditure of energy. These include enhanced circulation and oxidation of the tissues. Repeated sauna use can lower elevated blood pressure and improve the elasticity of the arteries. Saunas are most helpful for cardiovascular rehabilitation, arthritis, allergies, skin conditions and chemical sensitivity.

* Decongesting the internal organs. Heating the body powerfully shunts blood toward the skin to dissipate heat. This decongests the internal organs and greatly stimulates circulation. Sinuses, joints and many other tissues benefit greatly.

* Fever therapy (hyperthermia) for infections. Raising body temperature powerfully assists the body to kill bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses. Many people have a low body temperature and, for this reason, cannot get rid of chronic infections. Common sites of infections are the sinuses, ears, eyes, bladder, throat and intestines.

* Tumors, radiation poisoning and mutated cells. Hyperthermia also helps kill other types of abnormal cells. Tumors, for example, tolerate heat poorly. Raising body temperature hastens their death. Though not a conventional method, hyperthermia is a well-researched therapy for cancer. Heat also disables or kills cells mutated by radiation or damaged by other toxins.

http://www.drmagaziner.com/returns29.htm

Detoxify in an Infrared Sauna By Sweating Out Those Poisons

Damage to he heart and circulatory system isn’t the only harm that heavy metal toxicity, especially that of mercury, can do to the body. Mercury and aluminum have been known to contribute to Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s, and ALS. But now that you’ve heard the bad news, here’s some good news: a process called infrared sauna detoxification can actually sweat out those heavy metals.

Infrared sauna detoxification offers myriad health benefits.  While the infrared causes you to sweat, the composition of chemicals found in the sweat is quite different from that produced by a steam bath, dry sauna, or exercise.  The sweat of people treated in an infrared sauna will not only contain water, but will also contain cholesterol, fat-soluble toxins, heavy metals (such as mercury, aluminum, and arsenic), nicotine, sulfuric acid, ammonia, and other dangerous environmental poisons.  Normal sweat produced by other methods, including exercise, is made of mostly water and sodium chloride.

Infrared sauna detoxification has a large number of uses.  In addition to aiding in detoxification, infrared can help with skin disorders, chronic fatigue, rheumatoid arthritis, back pain, chemical sensitivity, fibromyalgia, weight loss and also many cardiovascular disorders.  Infrared detoxification helps to reduce blood pressure, increase peripheral circulation, and may help to control irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmia) by balancing the autonomic nervous system.

Detoxification with the infrared sauna is also an important adjunctive therapy for heavy metal detoxification and may be used to further benefit those who are undergoing chelating therapy or DMPS chelating.