The study suggests that sauna bathing may be good for the mind as well as the body / Robert Kneschke/SHUTTERSTOCK
Saunas may do more than make you sweat; a new study from the University of Eastern Finland suggests that regular sauna bathing is good for the mind as well.
The effects of sauna bathing on the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia were studied in the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study (KIHD). The 20-year study followed more than 2,000 middle-aged men (aged 42 to 60 years) living in Finland.
Based on their sauna-bathing habits, the study participants were divided into three groups: those taking a sauna once a week, those taking a sauna 2-3 times a week, and those taking a sauna 4-7 times a week.
Strikingly, the more frequently saunas were taken, the lower the risk of dementia was. And lower by significant margins: among those taking a sauna 4-7 times a week, the risk of any form of dementia was 66 per cent lower, and the risk of Alzheimer’s disease 65 per cent lower than among those taking a sauna just once a week. The study’s findings were published recently in the Age and Ageing journal.
The association between sauna bathing and dementia risk has not been previously investigated, but previous results from the KIHD study have shown that frequent sauna bathing also significantly reduces the risk of sudden cardiac death and the risk of death due to coronary artery disease and other cardiac events. That study also found a correlation between the number of saunas taken and a decreased risk of the health issues studied.
Rita Redberg, MD, of the University of California, San Francisco, and editor-in-chief of JAMA Internal Medicine, says: “Although we don’t know why the men who took saunas more frequently had greater longevity (whether it is the time spent in the hot room, the relaxation time, the leisure of a life that allows for more relaxation time or the camaraderie of the sauna), clearly time spent in the sauna is time well spent.”
According to Professor Jari Laukkanen, the study’s leader, it’s possible sauna bathing may protect both the heart and memory to some extent via similar, but still poorly understood mechanisms. “However, it is known that cardiovascular health affects the brain as well,” Laukkanen says. “The sense of wellbeing and relaxation experienced during sauna bathing may also play a role.”
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The study suggests that sauna bathing may be good for the mind as well as the body / Robert Kneschke/SHUTTERSTOCK
Saunas may do more than make you sweat; a new study from the University of Eastern Finland suggests that regular sauna bathing is good for the mind as well.
The effects of sauna bathing on the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia were studied in the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study (KIHD). The 20-year study followed more than 2,000 middle-aged men (aged 42 to 60 years) living in Finland.
Based on their sauna-bathing habits, the study participants were divided into three groups: those taking a sauna once a week, those taking a sauna 2-3 times a week, and those taking a sauna 4-7 times a week.
Strikingly, the more frequently saunas were taken, the lower the risk of dementia was. And lower by significant margins: among those taking a sauna 4-7 times a week, the risk of any form of dementia was 66 per cent lower, and the risk of Alzheimer’s disease 65 per cent lower than among those taking a sauna just once a week. The study’s findings were published recently in the Age and Ageing journal.
The association between sauna bathing and dementia risk has not been previously investigated, but previous results from the KIHD study have shown that frequent sauna bathing also significantly reduces the risk of sudden cardiac death and the risk of death due to coronary artery disease and other cardiac events. That study also found a correlation between the number of saunas taken and a decreased risk of the health issues studied.
Rita Redberg, MD, of the University of California, San Francisco, and editor-in-chief of JAMA Internal Medicine, says: “Although we don’t know why the men who took saunas more frequently had greater longevity (whether it is the time spent in the hot room, the relaxation time, the leisure of a life that allows for more relaxation time or the camaraderie of the sauna), clearly time spent in the sauna is time well spent.”
According to Professor Jari Laukkanen, the study’s leader, it’s possible sauna bathing may protect both the heart and memory to some extent via similar, but still poorly understood mechanisms. “However, it is known that cardiovascular health affects the brain as well,” Laukkanen says. “The sense of wellbeing and relaxation experienced during sauna bathing may also play a role.”
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Interview: Jeremy McCarthy
Mandarin Oriental’s group director
of spa and wellness discusses mental
wellness, spas and technology
Promotional feature: Beautyworld Middle East
Set to take place May 14-16, 2017 in Dubai, Beautyworld Middle East is billed as “three days to rediscover wellness and shake up the industry.”
Promotional feature: ESPA
ESPA has been a leader in the field of therapeutic skincare and luxury spa design and management for 25 years. Founder Susan Harmsworth explains how the company’s recent brand evolution will make ESPA even more relevant to the future of wellness
Promotional feature: Riceforce
Rice Force is set to make further inroads into the spa market in 2017 with the
launch of its new aromatic oils and treatment protocol
Promotional feature: Oakworks
Oakworks’ new Masters’ Collection range, which will consist of over 15 models by the end of 2017, has been designed to offer spa operators the ultimate in modern styling, with solutions and functionality that address each spa’s practical needs
TLee Spas and Wellness has revealed the design concept for a high-tech spa with body
mapping scanners to improve public health, for AI company Midjourney.
Ameyalli, the 78-acre wellbeing resort and residential community in Midway in Utah, US, has
broken ground on phase two of the hot spring development – the Ameyalli Resort and Spa –
which is due to open in 2028.
Gran Hotel Taoro in northern Tenerife, Spain, has completed the final phase of its three-year
renovation with the debut of its Sandára Wellness Centre.
Hand and Stone Massage and Facial Spa, the spa business with more than 650 locations across
the US and Canada, has appointed franchise expert Carrie Walsh as CEO as the company plans
to expand.
Synergy – The Retreat Show, the global trade show for retreats, has launched a global research
initiative that will provide insights into the retreat sector from both consumer and industry
perspectives.
The Wellness Tourism Association (WTA) has published a non-regulatory global industry
framework designed to ensure the retreat market offers responsible experiences.
A new survey of UK and international spa practitioners shows that stress, burnout and
wellbeing concerns have caused one in three respondents to consider leaving the industry.
The UK's four Chief Medical Officers have published a refreshed edition of Physical activity
guidelines: UK Chief Medical Officers' report, updating the evidence that underpins the nation's
physical activity recommendations and placing greater emphasis on strength, balance, reducing
sedentary behaviour and, for the first time, supporting people taking weight loss medications.
Contrast therapy, based on the alternation of hot and cold rituals, has become one of the
most valued practices in the fields of wellness and recovery. [more...]
In the fast-paced world of fitness and wellness, where high-intensity workouts push us to
our limits and the sweat pours, the importance of efficient recovery cannot be overstated. [more...]
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G.M. Collin G.M. Collin develops superior skin care products, from preventive care to combating the first signs [more...]
