Medical Information
A cocktail of harmful toxic chemicals was detected in every person tested in a cross-Canada study of pollution in people conducted by Environment Defense.
"The groundbreaking report, Toxic Nation: A Report on Pollution in Canadians, reveals that toxic chemicals, such as DDT, PCBs, pesticides, stain repellants, flame retardants, mercury and lead, are contaminating Canadians. Many of the chemicals discovered in the bodies of Canadians are associated with cancer, hormone disruption, reproductive disorders, respiratory illnesses and harming the development of children.
The report is the first in Canada to test for a broad range of chemicals in average Canadians from across the country, and it demonstrates that toxic chemicals contaminate people no matter where they live, how old they are or what they do for a living."
Test Results
- 60 of the 88 chemicals tested for were detected, including 18 heavy metals, five PBDEs, 14 PCBs, oneperfluorinated chemical, 10 organochlorine pesticides, five organophosphate metabolites,and sevenVOCs.
- 41 are suspected cancer-causing substances,
- 53 are chemicals that can cause reproductive disordersand harm the development of children,
- 27 are chemicals that can disrupt the hormonesystem, and
- 21 are chemicals associated withrespiratory illnesses
http://www.toxicnation.ca/files/toxicnation/report/PATN_English.pdf
In many cases when someone is dealing with a chronic health problem it is often a toxicity issue. A number of doctors now believe that the "toxic load" of these patients is very high and their detoxification pathways are often compromised. When one is able to reduce the toxins and heavy metals in these patients, their symptoms often greatly improve.
A number of people are also suffering unknowingly from mercury poisoning or from other heavy metals such as lead and aluminum. The infrared sauna has been invaluable in accelerating the removal of these toxic metals.
By raising the core temperature and creating a ' hyperthermia' effect the infrared sauna also improves a number of parameters in the immune system.
The infrared sauna has also been very effective in significantly reducing the pain levels in those suffering from arthritis, fibromyalgia, and other chronic pain conditions.
Health Benefits
- Hyperthermic Detoxification Therapy Using the Far Infrared Sauna
- Sick and Tired? Reclaim Your Inner Terrain
- Electromagnetic Wave Emitting Products - Potentiate Human Leukocyte Functions
- Weight Loss and Cardiovascular Benefits of the Radiant Health Sauna
- Repeated Sauna Treatment Improves Vascular Endothelial and Cardiac Function in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure
- More references on detoxification, infrared therapy, and the effects of toxins on the human body
DETOXIFICATION THERAPY USING THE FAR INFRARED SAUNACline Medical Center
Nanaimo, British Columbia
Canada
Introduction Saunas and steam baths have been used for centuries by cultures around the world to bring about detoxification. Traditionally, saunas have been used to improve mental clarity, to diminish pain and promote longevity. In the past few years, hyperthermic (sweat) therapy has been studied quite extensively and several papers on this subject have appeared in the scientific literature. Through this research, it has been shown that saunas greatly assist in the elimination of accumulated toxins. Toxic metals, including mercury as well as organic toxins such as PCB's and pesticide residues, are excreted in high quantities in the sweat during properly conducted hyperthermic therapy sessions.
Heat causes toxins to be released from cells. The toxic molecules will then reside transiently in the lymph fluid. Since sweat is manufactured from the lymph fluid, toxins present in the lymph fluid will exit the body through the sweat. Because the liver and kidneys are not required for this process, these organs are largely unburdened by hyperthermic therapy and toxins are able to leave the body even when liver or kidney function is impaired. This may be a distinct advantage for chronically ill patients whose livers and kidneys may already be under toxic stress.
OTHER ADVANTAGES OF HYPERTHERMIA IN THE CHRONICALLY ILL PATIENT
Hyperthermic therapy also is one of the few things, which brings about a significant rise in the level of growth hormone, an important hormone that helps to maintain lean body tissue, including muscle.
For the chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia (FMS) patient, hyperthermic therapy helps to restore normal autonomic nervous system functioning. This is the part of the nervous system, which governs unconscious functions such as muscle tension, sweating, blood pressure, digestion and balance. Autonomic dysregulation is the term used to describe changes in the nervous system, which result in many of the symptoms of chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia (FMS) . Muscle pain, excessive body odor, digestive complaints, visual disturbances and dizziness are some of the many manifestations of autonomic dysregulation. Repeated sessions of hyperthermic therapy can greatly assist in the restoration of normal autonomic nervous system functioning.
ADVANTAGES OF THE FAR INFRARED SAUNA
Many people with chronic illnesses find the high temperatures inside a regular sauna or steam room intolerable. In these traditional systems, the inside of the body is heated completely from the surface of the skin. Even though you feel very hot in these units, the heating is quite shallow - only a few millimetres below the skin. In the far infrared sauna, invisible light rays emanate from several infrared emitters. This infrared light penetrates deep into the fat and muscles of the body, creating a more powerful detoxifying influence upon the deeper tissues of the body. As well, since the air temperature remains much lower than in a traditional sauna, the individual feels more comfortable. Sweating often begins before the person feels very hot at all and the sweating is more profuse than in a traditional sauna.
Finally, unlike traditional saunas or steam baths, which can often leave a person feeling exhausted, the far infrared sauna is usually quite energizing. Many people actually use these before going to work in the morning, something that one would never do with a traditional sauna. Research conducted largely in Japan suggests that the far infrared sauna has a wider range of therapeutic effects than traditional saunas or steam baths, especially for detoxification.
from: Sick and Tired? Reclaim Your Inner Terrain
by: Robert O. Young, PhD.DSc.1999
Because of the level of pollution we are exposed to and its many sources, as well as poor dietary and exercise habits, the therapeutic value of regular sweating has become immense. It has benefits for both body and mind and, in fact, is the primary benefit of exercise.
One of the best passive exercises is the radiant heat of an infrared sauna which, causes a profound deep sweat. After about 30 minutes of exposure, the blood vessels of the skin dilate to allow more blood to flow to the surface to support the cooling process. The millions of sweat glands covering the body are infused with fluid from the blood. In turn, they empty to the skin's surface, thereby flushing large amounts of toxins, including toxic acids and heavy metals, from the body.
My research over the last two years shows that a radiant heat (infrared) sauna provides the following benefits:
- Speeds up metabolic processes of vital organs and glands, including endocrine glands.
- Inhibits the development of pleomorphic microforms and creates a "fever reaction" of rising temperature that neutralizes them.
- Increases the number of leukocytes in the blood.
- Places demand on the heart to work harder thus, exercising it and also producing a drop in diastolic blood pressure (the low side).
- Stimulates dilation of peripheral blood vessels thus, relieving pain (including muscle pain) and speeding the healing of sprain, strain, bursitus, arthritis, and peripheral vascular disease symptoms.
- Promotes relaxation thereby creating a feeling of well-being.
Title: Electromagnetic Wave Emitting Products - Potentiate Human Leukocyte Functions
Author: Niwa Y; Iizawa O; Ishimoto K
Source: Int. J. Biometeorol 1993 Sept; 37(3):133-8
In their abstract, the authors conclude that materials which emit electro-magnetic radiation in the far infrared region, "significantly increased intracellular calcium ion concentration, phagocytosis and the blastogenetic response of lymphocytes to mitogens. The results suggest that materials emitting electromagnetic radiation in the far infrared range, which are widely used in Japan for cosmetic, therapeutic, and preservative purposes, appear capable of potentiating leukocyte functions without promoting oxidative injury."
Weight Loss and Cardiovascular Benefits of the Radiant Health Infrared Sauna
As your body increases sweat production to cool itself, your heart works harder pumping blood at a greater rate to boost circulation, supplying the conditioning benefits of continuous exercise. Heart rate, cardiac output and metabolic rate increase, while diastolic blood pressure drops, for improved overall cardiovascular fitness.
As reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), August 7, 1981 "A moderately conditioned person can easily sweat off 500 gms. in a sauna, consuming nearly 300 kcal - the equivalent of running 2 - 3 miles. A heat-conditioned person can easily sweat off 600 - 800 kcal with no adverse effects. While the weight of the water loss can be regained by rehydration with water, the calories consumed will not be." Since an infrared sauna helps generate two to three times the sweat produced in a hot-air sauna, the implications for increased caloric consumption are quite impressive.
In Guyton's Textbook of Medical Physiology, we find that producing one gram of sweat requires 0.586 kcal.
Calories a 150-pound person normally burns up in 30-minutes of exercise:
SPORT CALORIES Marathon Running 593 Vigorous Racquet Ball 510 Swimming (crawl stroke) 300 Jogging 300 Tennis (fast game) 265 Cycling (10 mph) 225 Golfing (without a cart) 150 Walking (3.5 mph) 150 Bowling 120 The JAMA citation referred to above goes on to state that, "Many of us who run do so to place a demand on our cardiovascular system, not to build big leg muscles. Regular use of a sauna may impart a similar stress on the cardiovascular system, and its regular use may be as effective, as a means of cardiovascular conditioning and burning of calories, as regular exercise."
As a confirmation of the validity of this form of cardiovascular conditioning, extensive research by NASA in the early 1980's led to the conclusion that, infrared stimulation of cardiovascular function would be the ideal way to maintain cardiovascular conditioning in American astronauts during long space flights.
A Radiant Health sauna can therefore, play a pivotal role in both weight control and cardiovascular conditioning. This would be most valuable for those who don't exercise and those who can't exercise yet want an effective weight control and fitness maintenance program. This also allows for more variety in any ongoing training program.
Some weight loss authorities believe that our bodies use fat to dilute toxins. As an infrared sauna is an unsurpassed expeller of toxins, it is also a great way to get rid of any fat our bodies are using to dilute toxins we are storing.
Repeated Sauna Treatment Improves Vascular Endothelial and Cardiac Function in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure
Kihara T, Biro S, Imamura M, et al
Journal of the American College of Cardiology
March 6, 2002 (Volume 39, Number 5)
Rationale and Design
This group previously showed that thermal therapy by dry sauna improved clinical variables and cardiac output in congestive heart failure (CHF) patients. In the current study, the investigators sought to determine the mechanisms of this improvement and the effects of thermal therapy on endothelial function.
Twenty patients with CHF class II or III and mean age 62 15 years were studied. The mean ejection fraction was 38 at 14%. The patients were placed supine in a 60-degree C infrared-ray dry sauna for 15 minutes and then removed and kept at bed rest with a blanket for an additional 30 minutes. Sauna therapy was performed once a day 5 days a week for 2 weeks.
Symptoms were evaluated with a self-administered questionnaire, and patients were divided based on their responses of improved or no change. Fasting blood was obtained to evaluate neurohumeral factors, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF). Endothelial function was evaluated using a noninvasive ultrasound method to determine hyperemic response in the right arm and response to sublingual nitroglycerin.
Results
All enrolled patients completed the study. Clinical symptoms improved in 17 of 20 patients and were unchanged in 3. Two-week sauna therapy significantly increased the %FMD (flow-mediated dilation) in the improved group but not in the unchanged group. BNP concentrations were lower after 2 weeks of therapy but ANP and catecholamine levels were unchanged. The left ventricular end-diastolic dimension decreased significantly compared with baseline. There was a significant correlation between the change in %FMD and the improvement in BNP (P < .0005).
Editor's Comment:
It is known that CHF patients have impaired endothelial-dependent vasodilatation and the proposed mechanism for this is decreased peripheral vascular production of endothelium-derived nitric oxide. Endothelial function in CHF can be improved with ACE inhibitors, physical training, and vitamin C. This study showed that 2 weeks of sauna therapy also improved endothelial function and decreased the BNP. BNP levels are an important marker of cardiac status and prognosis in heart failure, as highlighted by several recent studies. The sauna therapy also reduced systolic blood pressure. The precise mechanism by which sauna therapy improves CHF is not clear from this study, but the authors hypothesize that sauna therapy acutely causes vasodilatation, which leads to upregulation of eNOS protein in the endothelium. Clinically, it is worth commenting that sauna therapy may be widely applicable to CHF patients and could also be used in patients incapable of exercise.
More references on detoxification, infrared therapy, and the effects of toxins on the human body
Detoxification of Environmental Toxins and Drug Residues
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