Sauna Therapy for Detoxification and Healing

I’ve been experimenting with infrared sauna therapy as part of my fluoride detox.  If cellulite is caused by toxins that lead to lymphatic congestion, then detoxification is a central component of an effective anti cellulite strategy.

To learn more about this treatment method, I read a book by Dr. Lawrence Wilson called Sauna Therapy for Detoxification and Healing.  For those of you who don’t have the time (or desire!) to sit around reading books about how to get rid of cellulite, I took notes.

Here are the points from Dr. Wilson’s book that stood out the most as having relevance for our investigation.

Why is Sweating From Saunas Different Than Sweating From Exercise?

The source of fluid for sweat is interstitial fluid.  Similar to lymph, it contains many minerals and other chemicals.  “Any chemical in the blood or lymph may find its way into sweat,”  Dr. Wilson explains.

To understand the difference between sweating from exercise and sweating from saunas, Dr. Wilson focuses on the autonomic system, the part of the nervous system that controls involuntary bodily functions such as digestion and heart rate.

The autonomic nervous system is composed of two branches.  The sympathetic branch activates the glands and organs that defend the body against attack by directing more blood to the muscles and brain.   It controls blood pressure and heart rate.  The parasympathetic nervous system activates the glands and organs that nourish, heal, and regenerate the body. It stimulates the nerves in the kidneys, liver, stomach, and intestines that are responsible for digestion and elimination.

Rigorous exercise requires a lot of activity from the sympathetic nervous system.  It is not as effective for detoxification because it shunts blood away from the eliminatory organs, reducing their ability to eliminate waste.  Sauna therapy, on the other hand, involves the parasympathetic nervous system.  Saunas allow the body to sweat while remaining in a relaxed state.  Since the heat is coming from an external source and not from within, the body is able to conserve energy and use it for repair work instead.

Using Saunas for Detoxification

Dr. Wilson is a proponent of the theory that repeated sauna use helps eliminate heavy metals and other toxins stores in fatty tissues.  He is also an expert in hair mineral analysis.

The most interesting section of his book are the charts that show the results of his hair mineral analysis tests over several months while he was using sauna therapy for his own detoxification.  By measuring spikes in certain minerals in the hair, the tests show which minerals his body was releasing during the sauna sessions.  It took almost a year for his aluminum rates  to drop.  Manganese was another mineral gradually released over time.

Based on his experience using hair mineral analysis in conjunction with sauna therapy, Dr. Wilson explains it can take as long as two years for the body to eliminate the bulk of stored toxins.   And that’s with twice daily sauna therapy!  For more acute conditions,  he says a year of sauna therapy should suffice.

So for those of you who tried sauna therapy a few times at a local spa, it seems like this is a treatment you really need to be consistent with over a long period of time before you will see results.

To learn more about sauna therapy from Dr. Wilson’s perspective, check out his book, Sauna Therapy for Detoxification and Healing.  He also has a lot of information about saunas and hair mineral analysis on his website, www.drlwilson.com.

Dr. Wilson’s book was interesting, but I’m still hungry for more info on sauna therapy for detoxification.  Got a good book or resource to recommend?  Please share your best sauna tips in the comments section below.