Infrared Sauna And Vitamin D: The Truth

Vitamin D deficiency is pretty serious. It affects your bones, skin, teeth, even your happiness and vitality - that’s why it’s always important to make sure you’re getting enough. So is it possible that using an infrared sauna can help supply your body with this vital nutrient? After much careful research, this article will give you the answer and tell you what you need to know in order to ensure you’re getting your required dose.

To begin with, here are the ways in which vitamin D affects your body:

- it’s essential for the health of your bones

- your body cannot absorb calcium without it

- it promotes anti-cancerous activity in your immune system

- according to studies, an adequate intake helps prevent cancer of the breast and prostate (as well as several types) diabetes, multiple sclerosis, even depression

That’s just the short list - obviously, we’re talking about a pretty vital nutrient. A severe lack of vitamin D is known to be extremely detrimental to your health, especially in children (causing rickets) and the elderly (osteoporosis). With a milder deficiency, you might have sallow hair & skin and feel sluggish or fatigued. It’s important to make sure you’re getting enough.

Now, back to the main question: can using an infrared sauna boost your vitamin D levels? In summary: most of your vitamin D is synthesized from sunshine - specifically, ultraviolet (UV) rays. Infrared energy is another type of radiation found in sunlight. These rays are the cause of the warmth or heat you feel while out in the sun; they are also the heat source for infrared saunas. Saunas do not contain UV rays - so while they are wonderful resource for soothing pain, detoxifying, improving skin tone, and a number of other benefits, using one won’t supply you with vitamin D.

What are good sources of vitamin D? Ultraviolet light supplies 90% of your intake, so experts recommend spending about 10-15 minutes twice a week in the sunshine. But don’t forget the sunscreen - UV rays have an adverse effect after too much time, and put you at risk for skin cancer and sun damage. Sunblock will protect you, but the SPF will not allow your body to absorb vitamin D - so apply it only once you’ve gotten enough direct exposure. Don’t forget that the other 10% of your D intake comes from diet, so so stock up on supplements or shop for nutrient rich sources like mushrooms, fish, and fortified milk.

To recap: no, infrared saunas can’t help cure vitamin D deficiency, since they’re not meant to be a substitute for natural sunlight. To make sure you’re getting your share of vitamin D, let the sunshine in and try eating the foods mentioned above. And once you’ve got that down, you might just want to look into infrared sauna therapy - it’s a great accompaniment to a healthy lifestyle, and well worth checking out!

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