If there's one wellness habit I wish everyone had access to, it's regular sauna time. There's something about sitting in the warmth, breathing deeply and letting yourself sweat that feels like a full reset for both body and mind. And the research behind it is some of the most impressive I've seen for any lifestyle practice.

I've been a sauna girl for 21 years! I started using the traditional sauna at the gym when I got my first membership. I was a very active athlete, always training to be in top shape, and I loved getting to relax and sweat at the same time. I knew it was good for me, but I had no idea how much it was actually doing.

Having a sauna at home was a dream of mine for years (they're an investment!). Over time I learned more about light wavelengths and how the different types of saunas compare. Today I use a full-spectrum sauna with near and far infrared as often as I can.

It became a non-negotiable when I was exposed to mold and needed to seriously support my body and detox pathways. I pair my sauna sessions with BioToxin Binder to help catch what my body is releasing, so it can be eliminated instead of recirculated.

One thing I always tell people: if you're not sweating after 10 to 20 minutes, pay attention. It can be a sign that your drainage pathways need some support. Before pushing harder in the heat, focus on opening those pathways up: hydration with minerals, regular bowel movements and lymph movement. Then your body can actually let go of what it's releasing.

Let's talk about what's actually happening in your body when you sauna, the difference between traditional, far infrared and near infrared heat, and what the research shows for long-term health.

What Happens in Your Body During a Sauna Session

When you sit in the heat, your body works to cool itself down. Your heart rate rises, your blood vessels widen to move blood toward your skin, and you start to sweat. In many ways, your cardiovascular system responds like it does during light to moderate exercise.

At the cellular level, the heat acts as a gentle, healthy stressor. This is a concept called hormesis: a small, controlled challenge that makes your body stronger and more resilient afterward, the same way exercise does. Here's what that looks like:

1. Heat shock proteins: Heat triggers your cells to produce heat shock proteins, which act like your cells' repair crew. They help other proteins keep their proper shape, repair damaged proteins and clear out ones that can't be fixed. Healthy protein maintenance is one of the hallmarks of healthy aging.
2. Healthier blood vessels: Repeated heat exposure supports the lining of your blood vessels, called the endothelium, which helps your vessels relax and widen properly. That's a big deal for blood pressure and circulation.
3. A calmer nervous system: Many people feel deeply relaxed after a sauna. Regular sessions may help shift your body out of "fight or flight" and into "rest and digest," which supports better sleep and mood.
4. Sweating as an extra elimination pathway: A systematic review in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health found that heavy metals including arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury can be excreted through sweat. Your liver, kidneys and gut are still your main detox organs, but sweating is one more way your body can eliminate what it doesn't need. This is why I love pairing sauna time with a thoughtful detox approach.

The Research on Sauna and Long-Term Health

Most of the strongest research comes from Finland, where sauna is part of everyday life. A group of researchers there followed more than 2,300 middle-aged men for about 20 years, and the findings got the attention of the whole medical world.

1. Heart health: In a 2015 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, men who used the sauna four to seven times a week had a 63% lower risk of sudden cardiac death and a 48% lower risk of dying from heart disease compared to men who went once a week.
2. Longevity: In that same study, men who used the sauna four to seven times a week had a 40% lower risk of death from any cause. Longer sessions mattered too: men who stayed in for more than 19 minutes had a lower risk of sudden cardiac death than those who stayed in for under 11 minutes.
3. Brain health: A 2017 follow-up study in Age and Ageing found that men who used the sauna four to seven times a week were 66% less likely to develop dementia and 65% less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than men who went once a week.

I want to be clear about what these studies can and can't tell us. They show strong associations, not proof that sauna alone caused these outcomes. People who sauna often may also have other healthy habits, more free time or less stress. The studies also focused on Finnish men who used traditional saunas for most of their lives, so more research is needed in women and other groups. Still, the results are consistent, they make biological sense, and they line up with what we know about how heat affects the body.

Traditional vs. Far Infrared vs. Near Infrared Saunas

Not all saunas work the same way, and this is one of the questions I get asked the most.

Traditional Sauna

Traditional Finnish saunas heat the air around you, usually to around 175°F or higher, using a stove or electric heater. Steam from water poured over hot rocks adds humidity. This is the type used in the large Finnish studies above, so it has the strongest long-term research behind it.

Far Infrared Sauna

Far infrared saunas use infrared heaters to warm your body more directly instead of heating all the air around you. They run at lower temperatures, often around 120 to 150°F, so many people find them easier to tolerate, especially if traditional saunas feel too intense.

The research here comes largely from Japan, where a gentle far infrared sauna practice called Waon therapy, meaning "soothing warmth," has been studied in people with heart conditions. In a 2015 study in the International Heart Journal, 49 patients sat in a 140°F far infrared sauna for 15 minutes, then rested under warm blankets for 30 minutes, once a day for three weeks. Their heart function, walking capacity, blood vessel function and quality of life all improved. These were small studies done under medical supervision, but they show how powerful gentle, repeated warmth can be.

Near Infrared Light

Near infrared works differently. It's less about heat and more about light. Near infrared and red light are absorbed by your mitochondria, the energy powerhouses inside your cells, through an enzyme called cytochrome c oxidase. Researchers believe this light frees up that enzyme to work more efficiently, which supports your cells' ability to make ATP, the energy currency your body runs on. This field of research is called photobiomodulation, and it's been studied for skin health, muscle recovery, inflammation and more.

Some saunas, often called "full-spectrum" saunas, include near infrared alongside far infrared. Keep in mind that most near infrared research uses specific wavelengths and doses delivered directly to the skin, so results from those studies don't automatically apply to every sauna on the market.

So Which One Is Best?

Honestly, the best sauna is the one you'll actually use consistently! If you can tolerate high heat and have access to one, a traditional sauna has the most long-term research. If you prefer gentler heat, far infrared is a wonderful option. And if you love the idea of adding light-based benefits for your cells and skin, a full-spectrum sauna gives you both.

How to Get Started Safely

1. Start low and slow: Begin with 10 to 15 minutes at a comfortable temperature, and build up gradually as your body adapts. Get out anytime you feel dizzy, lightheaded or unwell.
2. Hydrate before and after: Drink water before, during, and after. If you sweat a lot, replenish your electrolytes too, especially sodium, potassium and magnesium. My go-tos are Thorne Daily Electrolytes, sugar-free stick packs with sodium, potassium and magnesium that are easy to toss in your bag, and CT-Minerals to cover your trace minerals.
3. Skip the alcohol: Never combine alcohol with sauna use. It raises the risk of dehydration, dangerously low blood pressure and heart rhythm problems.
4. Rinse off after: A quick shower afterward washes away sweat and whatever your body just released, so it doesn't sit on your skin.
5. Aim for consistency: The research points to regular use, several times a week, as the sweet spot. Even two or three sessions a week is a great place to start.
6. Cool down gently: Give your body a few minutes to cool down before jumping back into your day. Many people love following their sauna with a cool shower.

Talk with your healthcare provider first if: you're pregnant or trying to conceive, you have a heart condition or low blood pressure, you've recently had a heart attack, you take medications that affect blood pressure, heart rate or sweating, or you have any other medical condition. Heat can also temporarily lower sperm count, so men who are actively trying to conceive may want to limit sauna use during that time.

Sauna Is One Piece of the Puzzle

Sauna isn't a magic fix on its own, and it doesn't replace the foundations: nourishing food, movement, quality sleep, stress support, sunlight and connection. But when those foundations are in place, regular heat exposure can be a powerful way to support your heart, your brain, your cells and your overall resilience. It's one of my favorite tools because it feels so good and the science is so compelling.

Have questions about adding sauna to your routine, or how it fits with a detox protocol? Reach out through my Contact page. I'd love to help!

Note: This post is for educational purposes and isn't a substitute for personalized medical advice. Sauna use is not a treatment for any medical condition. Please talk with your healthcare provider before starting sauna use, especially if you have a heart condition, are pregnant or take medication.

References

• Laukkanen T, Khan H, Zaccardi F, Laukkanen JA. Association between sauna bathing and fatal cardiovascular and all-cause mortality events. JAMA Internal Medicine, 2015;175(4):542-548.
• Laukkanen T, Kunutsor S, Kauhanen J, Laukkanen JA. Sauna bathing is inversely associated with dementia and Alzheimer's disease in middle-aged Finnish men. Age and Ageing, 2017;46(2):245-249.
• Sobajima M, et al. Waon Therapy Improves Quality of Life as Well as Cardiac Function and Exercise Capacity in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure. International Heart Journal, 2015;56(2):203-208.
• Ohori T, et al. Effect of repeated sauna treatment on exercise tolerance and endothelial function in patients with chronic heart failure. American Journal of Cardiology, 2012.
• Sears ME, Kerr KJ, Bray RI. Arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury in sweat: a systematic review. Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2012.
• de Freitas LF, Hamblin MR. Proposed Mechanisms of Photobiomodulation or Low-Level Light Therapy. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, 2016.
• Patrick RP, Johnson TL. Sauna use as a lifestyle practice to extend healthspan. Experimental Gerontology, 2021.