The origin of the saunas is far from the luxurious spas of today. They have been used for eons by different cultures around the globe. With the target of increasing body temperature (hyperthermia), all ancient civilizations made use of basic facilities to facilitate excessive sweating. Our ancestors have been aware of the fact that profuse sweating could initiate mechanisms of healing within the body.
Contemporary science has explained that the healing effects of sauna therapy are related to the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system, which allows to kick-start of numerous regenerative processes.
Science has further proven several benefits of regular sauna use for oncological patients.
The principle of hyperthermia is that cancer cells are more sensitive to and intolerant of the effects of excessive heat than healthy cells. Tumors do not have the ability to adapt their blood circulation to the effects of high temperatures. Cancer cells are weaker than normal cells and they are more prone to being eradicated by heat. In fact, high temperatures destroys only cancer cells without damaging healthy, properly working cells. According to the National Cancer Institute, “Hyperthermia (also called thermal therapy or thermotherapy) is a type of cancer treatment in which body tissue is exposed to high temperatures. Research has shown that high temperatures can damage and eliminate cancer cells, usually with minimal injury to normal tissues. Many studies have shown a significant reduction in tumor size when hyperthermia is combined with other treatments.”
The Journal of Cancer Science and Therapy, published in 2009, reported a clinical study that examined the effects of infrared heat therapy on cancer cells in vitro. Hyperthermia therapy reduced tumor size by 86% in just one month.
In another study conducted by Japanese researchers, it was discovered that whole-body hyperthermia effectively inhibited the growth of breast cancer tumors in mice by directly causing cancer cell death, without any observed side effects. Researchers believe that hyperthermia therapy holds promise as a non-invasive treatment for breast cancer.
According to an integrative approach to disease management, cancer treatment will never be complete without a deep detoxification program. There are different ways to eliminate waste from our bodies, but sweating plays a key role. It has been said that the skin is the main detoxification organ in our body. Many cancer-promoting chemicals, including heavy metals, plasticizers, pesticides, phenols, phthalates, and drugs used long term can be expelled through our pores when we sweat.
The use of a sauna helps the body to speed up recovery processes. It increases IGF-1 (a hormone for recovery processes). A study found a 142% increase in IGF-1 during sauna use [2].
Cancer cells replicate better in low oxygen environments. Sauna therapy increases circulation and enables superior absorption of oxygen and nutrients in the areas of the body affected by cancer, creating an unfavorable situation for dysfunctional and abnormal cells to grow.
It is a well-known fact that stress negatively affects the immune system and contributes to the development of diseases, including cancer. Decreasing stress is essential for disease management and is therefore one of the main components of an integrative cancer treatment program.
The use of a sauna improves mood and provides relaxation by increasing the levels of beta-endorphins. These endorphins give sauna users a sense of happiness and often euphoria. Whole-body hyperthermia has shown to improve symptoms of depression in cancer patients [4].
Not all stress is bad for the body. A sauna session induces a certain level of stress that is beneficial as it initiates a positive hormonal response in the body, including the release of an opiate called dynorphin and an increase in heat shock proteins. This positive stress, known as hormesis, helps the body become stronger and more resistant to various stressors such as environmental toxins, extreme temperatures, and cellular metabolic waste caused by disease. Sauna therapy is a powerful modality as it can restore and normalize the functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which manages our stress hormones.
Cancerous cells thrive in an environment with high sugar levels, promoting rapid growth and reproduction. In animal studies, mice with insulin resistance who received hyperthermia (sauna therapy) for 12 weeks experienced a 31% decrease in insulin levels. The researchers suggest that the use of sauna therapy could increase insulin sensitivity [5].
The use of sauna therapy also decreases pain through the increased secretion of anti-inflammatory hormones such as noradrenaline, adrenaline, cortisol, and IGF-1. It also enhances the release of endorphins, which are natural analgesics.
In 1891, Dr. William Coley published a paper on how fever could benefit cancer patients by stimulating an immune response that destroys cancer cells and initiates cancer remission [10].
References:
1 Hussain J., Cohen M. Clinical Effects of Regular Dry Sauna Bathing: A Systematic Review. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2018; 2018: 1857413. Published online 2018 Apr 24. doi: 10.1155/2018/1857413 PMCID: PMC5941775 Article PubReader PDF–1000KCitation
2 Lammintausta R, Syvälahti E, Pekkarinen A. Change in hormones reflecting sympathetic activity in the Finnish sauna. Ann Clin Res. 1976 Aug;8(4):266-71.
3 Leppaluoto, J. et al. Endocrine effects of repeated sauna bathing. Acta physiologica Scandinavica 128, 467-470, doi:10.1111/j.1748-1716.1986.tb08000.x (1986).
4 Cohut, Maria. How Chronic Stress Boosts Cancer Cell Growth. Article published on Medical News Today, February 25, 2019
5 Edward J. Calabrese, corresponding author and Mark P. Mattson. How does Hormesis impact biology, toxicology, and medicine? NPJ Aging Mech Dis. 2017; 3: 13.
6 Published online 2017 Sep 15. doi: 10.1038/s41514-017-0013-z, PMCID: PMC5601424 PMID: 28944077
7 Kokura S1, Adachi S, Manabe E, Mizushima K, Hattori T, Okuda T, Nakabe N, Handa O, Takagi T, Naito Y, Yoshida N, Yoshikawa T., Whole body hyperthermia improves obesity-induced insulin resistance in diabetic mice., Int J Hyperthermia. 2007 May;23(3):259-65.
8 Ishikawa T, Ishibashi J, Yamashita K, Dalkhsuren SO, Sumida K, et al. (2009) Non-thermal Effects of Far-Infrared Ray (FIR) on Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells HepG2 and their Tumors. J Cancer Sci Ther 1: 078-082. doi:10.4172/1948-5956.1000012, Published by The Journal of Cancer Science and Therapy, 2009
9 Udagawa Y, Nagasawa H, Kiyokawa S., Inhibition by whole-body hyperthermia with far-infrared rays of the growth of spontaneous mammary tumours in mice. Anticancer Research. 1999 Sep-Oct;19(5B):4125-30.
10 Fever in Cancer Treatment: Coley’s Therapy and Epidemiologic Observations Gunver S. Kienle, Dr med Published online 2012 Mar 1
The Recover U carbonic acid and ozone steam sauna system for home and clinics is equipped with sauna cabinet, heavy duty steamer, oxygen concentrator, ozone therapy kit: generator with accessories, CO2 flow regulator, user manual, training and support.
