DR. MICHAEL MOSLEY: Sitting naked in a sauna WILL NOT detox your body… but it can make you 50% less likely to die from a heart attack

Are you on Instagram? If so, you may have noticed that having a sauna, or at least filming yourself having one, seems to be the next big thing.

Celebrities including David Beckham, Guy Ritchie and Manchester City winger Jack Grealish have lately been raving about the benefits of sweating it out in their own private sauna, followed by a ten-minute cool-down before bed.

Like swimming in cold water, having a sauna is a way to push your body outside of its comfort zone, and that comes with a host of potential health benefits.

The idea of ​​getting into an enclosed space with others and getting warm is hardly new. In the Orkney Islands, off the coast of Scotland, archaeologists have found ancient stone structures dating back to 4000 BC, including rooms for heating and then bathing, much like a modern sauna.

And Native Americans have long gathered in “sweat lodges,” structures lined with hides and then filled with hot rocks or other heat sources, where they share songs and stories before heading out into the cold air to recover.

Nowadays the Finns are most enthusiastic about saunas; According to the tourism site Visit Finland, there are about three million saunas in Finland, for a population of less than six million. That is roughly one sauna for every two Finns.

The last time I had a sauna was a few years ago in Finland. I was advised to bring a towel to sit on, as otherwise the wooden benches would sear your sensitive parts (a good tip, as it turns out).

It was a little strange at first, but within a few minutes I was talking to other naked or semi-naked people in the room – saunas are extremely fun.

After 15 minutes I finished with a brisk, cold shower, although you may be offered a dip in a cold water pool, or even a quick dip in the sea if you use the kind of pop-up saunas that are now starting. appear on the British coast. After a cold dip, some people like to go back into the warmth, and then back into the cold. It’s called hot-cold cycling.

I felt invigorated afterwards, but what are the benefits? The first thing that happens in the intense heat is that the temperature of your skin and core body rises, which not only makes you sweat, but also increases your heart rate (although you may not notice it).

So having a sauna has many of the same effects on your body as a vigorous workout, which could explain why it seems to be good for the heart.

In 2015, researchers from the University of Eastern Finland looked at the sauna habits of 2,315 middle-aged Finnish men (aged 42 to 60) – over a period of an average of 21 years, those who had used a sauna most days of the day. week were 50 percent less likely to have a fatal heart attack than men who went to the sauna once a week or less.

A follow-up study showed that men who reported regularly going to the sauna were also 66 percent less likely to be diagnosed with dementia.

At the time, the researchers admitted that they did not know the reason for this, although they thought it could be the result of a combination of “time spent in the warm room, the relaxation time, the free time of a life that allows more relaxation” . time or the camaraderie of the sauna,” adding, “time spent in the sauna is clearly time well spent.” People used to worry that saunas could cause heart attacks and strokes, but if you’re otherwise healthy, the opposite is true.

The same Finnish researchers did another study, published in Neurology in 2018, which this time included both men and women, and focused on stroke risk.

They found that people who went to the sauna most days of the week were 61 percent less likely to have a stroke than those who went to the sauna once a week or less – possibly because visiting a sauna can reduce the stiffness of your blood vessels. decreases and therefore reduces your blood circulation. Busy.

What about other health claims? Many people believe that having a sauna helps them sweat out toxins, but there is no real evidence that this is true. On the other hand, there have been studies showing that it can improve mood, which could help explain why the Finns regularly top the annual World Happiness Report.

If you decide to give it a try, make sure you drink enough water, stick to a maximum of 15 minutes per session and if you have any concerns about your heart, consult your doctor before undressing and going in.

He snores, she sleeps and eats

MY wife Clare and I have very different sleep problems. I tend to wake up during the night to go to the toilet and can have trouble getting back to sleep.

Clare sleeps well, but gets up once a week in the middle of the night and looks in the cupboards or under the bed for patients (she is a GP). She has parasomnia (which causes unusual behavior while you sleep).

While that’s our nighttime experience, research published in June in Sleep Medicine Reviews highlights some proven common differences between men’s and women’s sleep.

For example, women have a greater risk of insomnia and are four times more likely to develop a sleep-related eating disorder (sleep eating). Men tend to be owls (who prefer to go to bed and wake up later) and are three times more likely to develop sleep apnea (where you stop breathing at night and can cause snoring). Hopefully all this insight will lead to a better night’s sleep.

If you go to the forest today…

Spring heralds the return of biting pests, and while most are harmless, there’s one you should keep an eye out for: ticks.

These can transmit Lyme disease: Early signs include a spreading, circular rash (like a bull’s-eye on a dartboard), usually about 14 days after you’re bitten, and perhaps flu-like symptoms. Thanks to warmer winters, the number of people affected is expected to rise.

If Lyme disease is caught early, it can be cured by antibiotics. But if it’s missed (which is often the case, because doctors aren’t trained to look for it), it can cause swollen joints and heart damage, and neurological problems like memory loss.

This is what happened to Lizanne, a former nurse, who contacted me. In 2010 she became unwell, with multiple symptoms. Over the next 14 years she saw more than 200 consultants from 31 specialties including neurology, rheumatology and gynaecology.

Last June, a cardiologist diagnosed Lyme disease affecting her heart, but the treatment, high doses of antibiotics, did not help and she was not offered anything else. The ticks that carry the bacteria that cause the disease are usually found in grassy and wooded areas. So tuck your pants into your socks when walking and consider using insect repellent. If you get the classic rash, see your doctor – also check the charity’s website lymediseaseaction.org.uk.

Unrealistic wishful thinking can be a bad thing: a recent study from the University of Amsterdam found that when people find themselves in situations that make them feel anxious, they are much more prone to wishful thinking. Most of the time it doesn’t matter, but if, for example, you’re told you have a possible health problem but tell yourself, “I’m sure it’ll work out,” that wishful thinking can keep you from taking actions that could change your life. can save.