Health Benefits
Infrared Saunas History
The Finns popularized sauna use. Their ancient religious ceremonies used it for mental, spiritual, and physical cleansing. Use of the sauna in their religion stayed with them when they migrated between 5,000 and 3,000 BC from an area northwest of Tibet to their present location in Finland. Native American Indians used sweat lodges for cleansing and purifying, recognizing the health benefits of a sweat as well.
Dr. Tadashi Ishikawa, a member of the Research and Development Department of Fuji Medical, received a patent in 1965 for a zirconia ceramic infrared heater used in the first healing infrared thermal systems. Medical practitioners in Japan were the only ones using infrared thermal systems for 14 years. In 1979, they were finally released for public use. The technique has been further refined into infrared thermal systems that have been sold in the United States since 1981. One use of infrared heat in the United States has been in the form of panels used in hospital nurseries to warm newborns.
Sauna Health Benefits : Why Infrared?
Infrared light is part of the Sun's invisible spectrum. One of Far-Infrared light's characteristics is the ability to easily penetrate human tissue. When this happens, it creates a natural resonance, which has many beneficial properties. The Far-Infrared heat (FIR light waves) penetrates your skin, giving you a wonderful natural warmth. You can be exposed to Far-Infrared heat for hours and it will never cause your skin to burn. Far-Infrared heat is completely healthy and safe for all living things.
Dr. Toshiko Yamazaki, M.D. owns a clinic in Japan where she has done extensive research on the therapeutic uses of far-infrared. In her book, "The Science of Far-Infrared Therapies," she explains that one of the reasons FIR (Far-Infrared) has beneficial results in a variety of illnesses is the ability of FIR waves to remove toxins, which are often at the core of many health problems. Since humans are bio-accumulators, toxins that cannot be expelled immediately after entry are stored in our bodies.
For example, when toxic gases such as sulphur dioxide, carbon dioxide or toxic substances such as lead, mercury or chlorine meet large water molecules, they are encapsulated by the clusters of water. Where these toxins are accumulated, blood circulation is blocked and cellular energy is impaired. However, when a 5 to 14 micron FIR wave is applied to these large water molecules, the water begins to vibrate. This vibration reduces the ion bonds of the atoms which are holding together the molecules of water. As the breakdown of the water molecules occurs, encapsulated gases and other toxic materials are released.
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