INFRARED SAUNA & DETOX
A word that has become increasingly common over the years. But different forms of detoxification have always existed, even if they haven't been called detox.
The Finns and Turks have their sauna traditions, the Indians have their sweat lodges. The Indians have AyurVeda which includes herbal mixtures, steam baths, oil massage, tongue scraping and bowel cleansing. The Chinese Taoist scriptures talk about repeated fasting from 3 to 14 days leading to a longer life. The Greeks used herbal and water baths, while the Tibetans have used meditation and massage for many centuries andsauna to cleanse the body. Bloodletting and the use of blood-sucking leeches were popular for a long time in Europe. Various forms of detoxification have been practised worldwide for thousands of years.
The great interest in detoxification historically over the years is probably based on a combination of a perceived sense of well-being during detoxification but also concern about various diseases when medical science was not as developed as in modern times and people wanted to ensure continued good health.
Today, we have very good medical expertise to ensure the good health of the population. But now our environment is very different; you only have to go back 60 years when very few chemicals were produced. The world's total chemical production has increased from seven million tonnes per year in 1950 to around 400 million tonnes in 2005. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) estimates that the value of global chemical production will increase by 85% between 1995 and 2020. Today, there are more than 100,000 manufactured chemicals in daily use worldwide. More than 30,000 chemical substances are on the market in the EU, of which only 5,000 have been tested and assessed for their effects on health and the environment. The remaining substances are not known.
Pollutants and chemicals are everywhere
The evolution of the environment and our diet makes it impossible to avoid exposure to toxins and contaminants. Today's food is largely processed through modification, refined or hardened, resulting in lower nutritional content. Food contains trans fats, additives, pesticides, colourings and preservatives. Much of what we drink and eat comes in plastic containers of some kind, which means we are constantly exposed to phthalates (plasticisers in plastics)
The presence of pollutants in the air in the form of exhaust fumes is probably common knowledge. We've all smelled something 'new' like the interior of a car, a bag, shoes, furniture - an odour that carries chemicals into our lungs. Beyond the air and food, there are dangerous chemicals in most of the products we surround ourselves with. Examples include skincare products, clothes, cosmetics, paints, plastics, cleaning products, printing inks, detergents, etc.Factory-made chemicals are in almost everything we use.
Environmental toxins
Environmental toxins is a collective term for toxins that have a negative impact on the natural environment. Environmental toxins damage the functions of organisms. Several environmental toxins are very stable, i.e. they do not degrade or degrade very slowly. Pollutants can be liposoluble/lipophilic and are stored and accumulate in the fat and adipose tissues of organisms. Other toxins bind to proteins.
Environmental pollutants can be divided into many different groups, for exampleheavy metals(cadmium, mercury, lead)organic compounds(chlorine compounds like freon, bromine compounds like flame retardantsalkylphenols as plasticisers in textiles) andman-made pollutants(man-made).
Blood tests from the 1940s show that before the Second World War, human blood and tissue contained almost no toxins or contaminants. Today, things are different.All humans on Earth today have traces of environmental toxins from the organic toxins group in their bodies.
These toxins are mostly fat-soluble and this allows them to spread quickly within the food chain, being stored and increasing in the fatty tissues of humans and animals.
Organic pollutants spread globally and accumulate in colder regions, resulting in an accumulation at the poles. There is also an enrichment from mother to child. This has affected Inuit (Eskimo) children who ingest high levels of organic pollutants through breast milk.
The body is amazing
The body has an amazing ability to purify itself. This task is divided between 5 organs, and we will first describe four of these organs.
1. LungsIs the detoxifying organ most exposed to the environment. Air travels down the trachea to the smallest branches of the trachea, the alveoli. Along these alveoli, which are about 0.5 mm in diameter, there are rows of alveoli (air sacs). An alveolus is hemispherical and only 0.1-0.2 mm in diameter when exhaled and twice as large when inhaled. The lung tissue is mainly made up of alveoli. Each alveolus is surrounded by a very fine branching network of blood vessels. When you breathe in, your lungs are filled with oxygen and the environmental toxins in the air. The lungs release carbon dioxide and toxic substances every time you breathe out. Gases are absorbed through the cell membranes and filtered through the blood to the body.
2. Kidneys regulates body pH, fluid balance and calcium metabolism. The basic functional unit of the kidney is a nephron. There are about one million nephrons in each kidney. These can be thought of as small purification stations. Although the weight of the kidneys is only about 0.5 % of the total weight of the organism, at rest as much as 20-25 % of the minute volume of blood circulation flows through them. Every hour, all the blood in the body passes through the kidneys almost twenty times. Here, the blood is filtered along with waste products, medicines and toxins. Renal excretion is the body's main method of ridding itself of water-soluble waste products. About 0.1% of the blood that is filtered is converted into urine.
3. IntestinesProcesses around 25 000 kilograms of food in a lifetime and it is mainly here that the body is confronted with allergenic substances and environmental toxins. The lining of the stomach and intestines is 200 times larger than the surface area of the whole body and thus sensitive to exposure to toxins. The large intestine is an important channel for the absorption of residues and waste products after the completion of the food digestion process. The role of the intestine in the detoxification process is very important . With an imbalanced intestinal flora, the rate at which normal amounts of toxins can be cleared away via the gastrointestinal tract is reduced.
4. LiverIs by far the largest gland in the body, weighing around 1.5kg. The liver is usually divided into two lobes, the right one being several times larger than the left one (in a more refined division, it consists of four lobes). The blood is pumped through the liver where it is exposed to enzymes (bl.a. cytochrome P450) to bind and remove chemicals and waste products. The liver produces bile. In the centre of the lower surface of the liver is the hepatic duct, to which the gallbladder connects via a bile duct. Bile is transported here and stored in the gallbladder. The bile stored in the gallbladder is transported to the duodenum, where it raises the pH and helps in the digestion of food, especially fats. Some substances that the liver purifies from the blood are emptied out together with the bile produced (out with the faeces). The liver also deals with most toxins that may be present in the blood, such as ethanol and medicines.
The body's purification stations.
We have highlighted four of the body's five purification stations, describing in very simple terms the anatomy and physiology of the organs. Of the organs mentioned above, it is mainly in the liver, kidneys and intestines but also the skin (see below) where environmental toxins are stored/attached. Your body detoxifies itself daily as long as it is in good condition. However, sometimes problems arise and more toxins enter the body than the body can get rid of. Toxins can come from and be exacerbated by cellular waste*, pollution, stomach imbalances, stress, poor diet, disease, work environment (refineries, chemical production, firefighters, etc.) prescription drugs, smoking, overuse of alcohol, drugs, lack of sleep, etc. There are many different recommendations on how best to support and optimise the body's cleansing processes. How to perform kidney cleansing, bowel cleansing and liver cleansing is not something we will highlight. There are several options to choose from, ranging from simple tips to more detailed detox cures.
Based on individual symptoms and problems, it is important to familiarise yourself with the different detoxification regimens recommended and find the approach to detox that works best for you.
*A cell can be likened to a human being in miniature. The cell breathes, eats and produces waste, causing the human body to need to breathe, eat and dispose of waste.
The body's fifth purification organ The skin
(latinCutis &greekderma)
5. The skins Is the largest and heaviest organ in the body. The skin of a human being normally weighs between four and five kilograms and, including the subcutaneous fat layer, can account for a fifth of total body weight. The skin area of an adult human is between 1.5 and 2 square metres.
It has several functions; itprotectsunderlying tissues, it is important for the body'sthermoregulation & sensory,it accommodates aBlood reserveand it is aExcretory organs.Furthermore, the skin producesVitamin DOf the vitamin's precursor.
The skin is divided into three layers
The epidermis is the outermost layer of the skin. It varies in thickness on different parts of the body. Skin that gets a lot of wear and tear, such as the hands and soles of the feet, has a thick epidermis. It can be one millimetre thick or more. The rest of the epidermis can be between about 0.05-1.5 mm thick. The thinnest skin is found on the upper body. The outermost cell layers form a protective dead horny layer. The stratum corneum is covered with fat from the sebaceous glands. Water and water-soluble substances have difficulty passing through the skin, fat-soluble substances much more easily. Fat-soluble substances such as steroid hormones and some toxic gases can cause general symptoms even though they have only come into contact with the skin. (Steroid hormones are sex hormones such as testosterone and oestrogen in which cholesterol is the building block. Vitamin D is also a steroid hormone formed from cholesterol.) The epidermis contains no blood vessels and is supplied by diffusion from underlying skin layers.
The dermis lies under the epidermis. The dermis is between half a millimetre and three millimetres thick and is thickest on the back. The boundary between the two layers of skin is wavy. The dermis is made up of connective tissue, which contains abundant protein fibres of collagen and elastin. Therefore, the dermis is both strong and elastic. With age, the number of elastic fibres decreases and the skin therefore becomes flabby and wrinkled. The dermis has many blood vessels. These blood vessels participate in the body's thermoregulation. There is 5-10 times more blood circulating in the skin than its supply requires. The skin therefore also acts as a blood reserve. In shock (via adrenaline), blood moves from the skin to the internal organs (brain, heart). Pale skin is one of the main signs of shock. Blood circulation in the dermis is important for the body to maintain the right temperature. When it is cold, blood vessels contract so that less blood circulates through the skin. Less heat then leaves the body. In a cool environment and at rest, 200-350 ml of blood pass through the skin per minute. In hot weather, the skin becomes redder as more blood circulates through the dilated blood vessels. This allows heat to leave the body and cool down. In heat, the amount of blood circulating per minute can be up to 3.5 litres. The dermis contains lymphatic vessels, sensory organs, nerves, hair follicles, sebaceous glands and sweat glands.
The subcutis takes over under the dermis. There is no clear boundary between these two layers of skin. The subcutis is made up of porous connective tissue and many fat cells. The average thickness of the subcutis is 2-10 millimetres in a lean person. In an overweight individual, the subcutaneous fat tissue can be closer to 10 cm thick, for example on the abdomen and around the hips.
Toxic substances that have entered the body via the lungs or via the digestive tract are transported via the blood and lymph. They are stored in fat deposits in the subcutaneous tissue until they are excreted through the pores. The outer layer of the epidermis, the stratum corneum, is made up of densely packed cells but is nevertheless porous. Water and water-soluble substances find it difficult to pass through the epidermis, fat-soluble substances much easier. Fat-soluble substances such as steroid hormones and some toxic gases can cause general symptoms even though they have only come into contact with the skin. It is clear that many toxins accumulate in the body's fatty tissues. The best way to get at this is by sweating. Detoxification treatments involving sauna bathing have a long history. Traditional sauna bathing involves placing the body in a heated space where the hot air will warm up the skin, causing the body to sweat to lower the body temperature. Being in high temperatures where the air you breathe is very hot and humid can be uncomfortable for many people. For people with any kind of heart condition or high blood pressure, it can in some cases be directly associated with health risks.
Infrared saunas provide infrared radiant heat
What exactly is radiant heat? It is completely harmless and has nothing to do with either ultraviolet radiation (which causes sunburn and can damage the skin) or radioactive radiation. The word radiation can easily have a negative connotation, which is not the case with radiant heat.
Radiant heat is simply a form of energy that heats the object directly through a process called conversion (there is a conversion/transfer of heat). This heating occurs without heating the air in between. Radiant heat is what is called infrared energy. Our atmosphere has a "window" which is open for IR radiation with a micron length of 7-14 to reach the Earth's surface. Then, when the Earth is heated, this IR radiation with a wavelength of 7-14 microns with a peak of 10 microns is emitted. The infrared radiation emitted by the Earth is referred to as terrestrial radiation
Our own bodies radiate infrared energy through our skin between 3-50 microns with mainly 9.4 micron wavelengths. Our palms emit infrared radiation at a level of 8-14 microns. Healing hand application is a tradition dating back 3000 years (micron = number of wavelengths per cm-1)
Traditional saunas are heated by the convection principle
Infrared radiation is often referred to as thermal radiation. However, infrared radiation and thermal radiation are not always the same thing; not all heat transfer by radiation is infrared radiation. A conventional heating element or the heater in a traditional sauna heats according to the convection principle by heating the air in the room. The heated air rises above the heating element/heater. Under the ceiling it first becomes warm and cosy, but as it cools, the warm air then sinks along the wall and flows as cold air along the floor back to the heating cellar where it is reheated. The air in the room is warmer than the walls and furniture. When you ventilate the room
The importance of water
Water sustains all forms of life. Our bodies are made up of about 70% water and most of the food we eat contains about 70% water. All body fluids contain water. Blood is made up of about
90% water. Water is found throughout the body, both inside and outside cells. It is key to all bodily functions. It transports nutrients to all cells and carries away the waste products of metabolism. Water also regulates body temperature through perspiration.
The fact that water is so present in our bodies is of great importance for the infrared heat radiation and its detoxifying detox effect in the body.
Why is water so important? At a temperature of -2730 C absolute zero, all atoms are completely still. In a solid like ice, the water molecules lie in a regular pattern, a structure. Although the molecules are bound to each other, they are not completely still, they vibrate around their fixed positions, they have a thermal motion. The higher the temperature, the greater the thermal motion. Heating ice increases the thermal motion. It counteracts the attraction between the water molecules. At the melting point, the thermal movements become so intense that the molecules can start to separate from each other, from their places, and liquid water is formed. Applying heat to the water molecules will increase the movement of the water molecules and affect the attraction between the molecules.
The importance of infrared light
Water absorbs light. The infrared segment of the electromagnetic (colour) scale is located just infra= below the red visible light. Infrared light is a limited spectrum of light energy from the sun (or artificial source) but which, due to its longer wavelengths, cannot be seen by the human eye, like ultraviolet rays. In both visible and infrared light, it is the vibrational state of the water molecule that causes the absorption. Blue light is absorbed very little while red light is absorbed about 3 orders of magnitude more. Long-wave infrared radiation such as that generated in an infrared sauna corresponds as closely as possible to the body's own radiant energy. This allows us to absorb as much as 93% of the infrared waves that hit the body. All humans emit and receive long-wave infrared rays between 6-20 microns. The most favourable range of waves for humans is between 7-14 microns. This range, known as the 'vital rays', has been shown to have a number of beneficial effects on the body. This range corresponds well with the 9.4 micron range of the water molecule.
The heat of long-wave infrared rays can be easily absorbed by the large number of water molecules in the body. As the rays pass through the skin, it changes from light energy to heat energy. This results in a deep heating of the body. When the body temperature increases, the body reacts by cooling itself. Sweat is part of the body's cooling system and is essential to regulate our body temperature. When sweat settles on the skin, a lot of heat energy is needed for it to dry/evaporate. This energy is taken from the body to keep it cool. Normally you sweat half a litre of fluid per day. If you work hard and the temperature is high, you can sweat several litres. The long-wave infrared rays cause the water molecules to break down, the water clusters (water molecular chains) become smaller and form a hexagonal pattern. This releases deposits and waste products that the body has not been able to get rid of immediately, including many environmental toxins that are fat-soluble and remain in the body's fatty tissue. As the body readily absorbs infrared radiant heat, this provides effective heating of the body in depth, the water molecules are affected and heavy sweating occurs.When comparing traditional saunas to an infrared sauna, American studies have shown the following when analysing sweat;
Infrared sauna Traditional sauna
80 % water 97 % water
20 % poisons 3 % poisons
Toxins accumulated in the body are often the cause of a variety of health problems. As we have described above, the body is truly amazing. It has a unique physiological and anatomical design to best take care of itself. However, when the body signals or our insight makes us realise that we need to change our lifestyle to feel better, the path is not a simple one. It is important to find a harmony with dietary exercise, remove toxins in your everyday life (nicotine, alcohol) and, if possible, review what you are exposed to in your work environment and possibly at home. The evolution of our environment and the way we live today has created the need to help the body in its work. Elevated levels of undesirable substances, as well as new undesirable toxins in both our diet and our environment, have increased interest in getting 'clean from within'.
One way to get there is to regularly sauna in an infrared sauna. In a Luxwayinfrared sauna the body gets an effective support for detox . Good luck on your way to a healthier lifestyle.