Studies have shown that sweat excretes waste products and toxins. In 2023, another study was published that detected pesticides, organophosphates and pyrethroids in sweat induced by an infrared sauna.
Sweat is primarily the body's cooling system, but studies have also shown that sweat excretes environmental toxins, such as Bisphenol A (BPA), cadmium, lead and arsenic.
"Although these are small studies, they are very interesting findings. Several studies in recent years have shown that sweat contains environmental toxins. Personally, I am convinced that sweat helps detoxify the body," says Radiant Health founder Siw Hansson Kaulbach,
"Perhaps it was different many years ago, when we were not exposed to the amount of toxins that we are exposed to today."
Every day we are exposed to harmful substances in the environment we live in. Could it be that sweat has been given more tasks in the body beyond being a cooling system?
Affects the nervous system
Food is a major source of environmental toxins, including organophosphates and pyrethroids, which are used in pesticides against insects and fungi, among other things. Organophosphates (OP) and pyrethroids (PYR) are insecticides (insect killers), chemical substances that mainly act on the nervous system of insects.
Pesticides are used all over the world, and global exposure through diet, inhalation or skin contact is reflected in the number of reports documenting OP or PYR in urine, often in 80-100% of samples.
Urine is the gold standard for sampling.
Insecticides can have varying levels of toxicity for humans and the environment. The long-term health effects of environmental exposure are unclear, but recent studies suggest that some of these insecticides have hormone-disrupting properties that may, among other things, cause birth defects and autism, and affect male fertility, puberty and the development of endometriosis.
Organophosphates and pyrethroids are excreted through sweat
In 2023, a study was published in which researchers wanted to investigate whether organophosphates and pyrethroids are also excreted through sweat. Although sweat is excreted from the body's largest organ, its role in excretory metabolism is less well understood. The researchers wanted to look more closely at whether sweat can help shed light on how the body gets rid of these insecticides.
10 women took part in the study. They went through three interventions: control, infrared sauna and indoor cycling. Four insecticide metabolites were measured repeatedly in sweat and urine.
Organophosphate metabolites were detected in 84.6% and pyrethroids in 26.9% of the sweat samples collected. Both infrared sauna and exercise appeared to improve the body's detoxification in general. The concentration of three metabolites increased in the urine samples after an infrared sauna, in addition to the measurements taken in sweat.
The results raise exciting questions about the role of sweat in the metabolism and excretion of synthetic pesticides.
Pesticides in fruit and vegetables
Within set limit values, it has not been scientifically proven that pesticides pose a health risk. At the same time, there are still knowledge gaps about how pesticides affect our health in the short and long term. Experts are divided, as too little is known about the combined effects. One recommendation is to apply the precautionary principle.
In 2022, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet) produced a report examining 1142 products, in which pesticides were detected in 40% of Norwegian-produced products, 70% of EU/EEA products and 63% of products from outside the EU/EEA.
Pesticides above the limit values were also detected. In products from Norway and the EU/EEA, these were not considered to pose a health hazard to consumers. In 14 of the products from countries outside the EU/EEA, the exceedances were considered to pose an acute health hazard.
For many years, strawberries have ranked high on the list of the "worst offenders" when it comes to environmental toxins in food. Between 2012 and 2015, residues of 8 different pesticides were detected in one and the same sample of Norwegian-produced strawberries. In imported strawberries, residues of 12 different pesticides were found. In total, residues of 19 different pesticides were detected in Norwegian berries and 54 different pesticides in imported berries.
Organic food and an IR sauna may reduce your pesticide load
Organic food can be an effective way to reduce your intake of organophosphates through food, while also following the "five a day" dietary advice.
In one study in which adults ate organic food for one week, the amount of pesticides (organophosphates) fell by almost 90%. In another study, children who ate organic food once a week had lower levels of pesticides and phthalates (plasticisers in plastic) in their urine.
Perhaps taking an infrared sauna is not such a bad idea either.
"In a world where we are increasingly absorbing environmental toxins, we must become much more aware of what we put both in and on our bodies! We also need to find tools that can help us sweat more, not only for cooling, but to stimulate even stronger detoxification. An infrared sauna is a very valuable and effective tool for this. Infrared is the medicine of the future," concludes Siw.
Text: Trine Dahlman
Disclaimer: The content of this article is intended as general information only. Research on infrared heat and red light therapy is still evolving, 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.
