Dr. Rhonda Patrick recently presented an in-depth review of how saunas can positively affect health, both for the brain and general longevity. Here is a detailed overview of her insights and research, which provides a comprehensive understanding of the benefits of regular sauna use.
Personal Experience with Stress
Dr. Patrick began by sharing his own experience with stress during his doctoral studies. She experienced both good and bad stress. The good stress came from learning and developing as a researcher, while the bad stress came from failed experiments and demanding exams. This led to poor sleep and overwhelming anxiety.
To counteract this bad stress, Dr. Patrick began using the sauna regularly. She quickly found that this gave her a noticeable improvement in mood and stress management. This led her to delve deeper into research into how saunas affect the brain and body.
How Saunas Affect the Brain
Saunas can increase the production of several important hormones and neurotransmitters:
- Dopamine: Increases, which improves mood and makes you calmer.
- Serotonin: Increases, which also contributes to a better mood.
- Noradrenaline: Increases, which improves focus and attention.
- Endorphins: Increases, which gives a feeling of well-being.
Dr. Patrick explained that sauna use leads to the production of dynorphin, which produces a feeling of discomfort and dysphoria. This discomfort is important because it sensitizes the brain to endorphins, which make you feel even better afterwards.
Effects on Longevity
Research from the University of Eastern Finland showed that regular sauna use can reduce the risk of several causes of death, including cardiovascular disease:
- Men who used a sauna 2-3 times a week had a 27% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.
- Men who used the sauna 4-7 times a week had a 50% lower risk.
Mechanisms Behind These Benefits
Dr. Patrick explained that sauna use can mimic the effects of moderate-intensity exercise:
- Heart rate: Increases to 100-150 beats per minute, equivalent to moderate exercise.
- Plasma volume: Increases, which improves blood flow to the heart and reduces cardiovascular strain.
- Blood pressure: Reduced.
- Endothelial cells: The function is improved, which contributes to better heart health.
In addition, sauna use increases the production of heat-shock proteins (HSP), which help repair damaged proteins in the cells. This is important to maintain the protein structure and prevent protein aggregates that can lead to diseases such as Alzheimer's.
Cold exposure and health benefits
Dr. Patrick also discussed the benefits of cold exposure, such as jumping into cold water or taking cold showers. Cold exposure can:
- Increase norepinephrine: Increases focus, attention and improves mood.
- Mitochondrial biogenesis: Increases the production of mitochondria in muscle and fat tissue, which improves aerobic capacity and can help with weight loss.
- Reduce inflammation: Helps with recovery after exercise.
Detailed Exploration of Sauna Benefits
Increased hormone production
Dr. Patrick highlighted how sauna use can lead to a significant increase in various hormones:
- Growth hormone: Can increase by up to 16 times with regular sauna use, which is important for muscle repair and general growth.
- Prolactin: Increases, which can contribute to better skin health and other physiological benefits.
Improved Cognitive Function
Using a sauna can also improve cognitive function by increasing the production of neurotrophic factors such as BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor). This protein is important for synaptic plasticity, learning and memory formation.
Reduction of Inflammation
Sauna use reduces inflammation by increasing anti-inflammatory hormones such as adrenaline and norepinephrine. This can be particularly useful for people with chronic inflammatory conditions such as arthritis.
Strengthening the Immune System
By regularly using the sauna, the immune system can be strengthened, making the body better equipped to fight infections. This can be particularly beneficial in periods with a higher risk of disease, such as the winter months.
The combination of Heat and Cold
Dr. Patrick also discussed the benefits and possible synergistic effects of combining sauna with cold exposure. Transitioning from hot sauna to cold water can further increase norepinephrine levels, which can improve both mental acuity and physical endurance.
Important Disclaimers
Although the benefits of sauna use are many, Dr. Patrick pointed out the importance of caution, especially for people with existing heart problems. It is recommended to consult a doctor before starting regular sauna use, especially if you have known health problems.
Conclusion
Dr. Rhonda Patrick concluded that both heat and cold exposure can provide significant health benefits. Regular sauna use can improve mood, reduce stress, improve cardiovascular health and potentially increase longevity. The combination of heat and cold may produce synergistic effects, but more research is needed to understand the full benefits.
Sources
- [University of Eastern Finland study on sauna use and cardiovascular health](https://uef.fi/en/research)
- [Research on heat shock proteins and their role in longevity](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed)
- [Studies on the effects of cold exposure on norepinephrine and mitochondrial biogenesis](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550413117301788)