Did you know that environmental toxins can affect your weight? New Norwegian research documents a phenomenon already well known in the USA: how toxins (obesogens) can cause obesity.
– I deliberately talk very little about weight, but this is highly interesting research that I think it is important to share, says Siw Hansson Kaulbach, founder of the Radiant Health brand.
Environmental toxins can increase weight
In the recently published study, researchers at NTNU examined 34 different plastic products and found a staggering 55,000 different chemical components in them. They were only able to identify 629 of them. It turns out that when these substances enter our bodies, they develop new fat cells.
Environmental toxins are stored in fat cells and fatty tissue. They disrupt the metabolism and can increase the volume of fat cells, as well as block fat burning, which in turn makes it difficult to lose weight. The disruption can also affect feelings of hunger and fullness. The ripple effects are many.
In the USA, the issue has long been an established phenomenon: toxins in food, medicines and our surroundings causing overweight (obesity) in the population. The environmental toxins linked to obesity are called "obesogens".
Infrared sauna reduces environmental toxins
Infrared sauna is a good tool for reducing environmental toxins in the body.
– The research on obesogens becomes very interesting when you connect it with studies on infrared sauna and detoxification, explains the founder.
When you use an infrared sauna, the body absorbs the infrared heat rays, which in turn penetrate skin and tissue. Infrared heat rays reach five times deeper into the body than the heat in a traditional Finnish sauna. Environmental toxins are mobilised out of the fat cells and excreted through sweat, urine and faeces.
Sweat excretes Bisphenol A (BPA)
A study from 2012 showed that 15-20% of induced sweat consisted of cholesterol, fat-soluble toxins, heavy metals, sulphuric acid and ammonia, as well as sodium and uric acid. The excretion of some heavy metals also proved to be markedly higher in sweat than in urine.
The hormone-disrupting substance Bisphenol A (BPA), one of the worst offenders in plastic, is excreted to a greater extent in sweat than in urine. BPA has been detected in sweat even when it has not been detected in either serum or urine samples.
Infrared sauna and weight loss
Infrared sauna works in two ways:
The sauna supports the body's detoxification processes to get environmental toxins out of the body AND it raises the heart rate and pushes the body into fat-burning mode. Studies such as this one and this one have shown that raising the core temperature over time with infrared sauna reduces body fat percentage. With increased clearing of waste substances, weight loss may also become easier.
There can be many reasons why people struggle with their weight. In addition to environmental toxins, everything from diet, calories and stress to lack of sleep, medicines and genes can play a part.
Several decades of research suggest that infrared sauna offers many health benefits. Mainly, the sauna helps the body heal itself. These include strong detoxification, pain relief, increased circulation, increased calorie burning, nicer and healthier skin, better sleep and more energy.
These positive health effects have meant that infrared heat is receiving more and more attention in medicine. Studies may also indicate that regular sauna sessions mean we live longer.
Fat, sweat and tears
Fun fact: When you lose 10 kg of fat, 8.4 kg is breathed out, while 1.6 kg becomes water that leaves the body through urine, faeces, sweat and tears.
Disclaimer: The content of this article is intended as general information only. Research into infrared heat and red light therapy is still developing, and individual results may vary. Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. Contact a doctor or other qualified healthcare professional if you have questions about your own health, diagnosis or treatment.
Text: Trine Dahlman
