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The Benefits of Far Infrared Detox Therapy

CrystalNici | Mar 12, 2011 |

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For a very long time far infrared light has been used in medical applications. It is the primary heat source of neo-natal incubators and for physiotherapy lamps. There are many other uses for far infrared light including in night vision goggles and keeping ice from the wings of aircraft!

Another less well known use for this type of light is for far infrared saunas (detox cabins). These are an incredible way to detoxify the body as they make you sweat a tremendous amount, releasing toxins through the greatest elimination system the body possesses - the skin! Our skin has a wide variety of uses, not least holding us all together but it is also used to regulate our temperature and as a way to eliminate toxins from within the body. It eliminates the toxins when we sweat, bringing them out of the body to be washed away. In times when society as a whole was more active we would sweat a lot, thus eliminating a lot of toxins from our bodies. In our much more sedentary society the only time many of us really sweat is when the temperature soars in summertime. This lack of sweating and thus detoxification can lead to a great many minor health complications such as migraine, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome and weakened immune system response, along with many more serioous conditions. Coupled with the lack of sweating to eliminate these toxins there are also huge numbers more toxins that our bodies are subjected to. The only other way to eliminate toxins apart from through the skin is though our liver and kidneys but this toxic overload puts enormous strain upon these organs. Do not get me wrong the liver and kidneys are powerful enough elimination organs themselves, but even they are not well equipped to deal with the huge amount of toxins we are subjected too.

What are toxins?

Toxins are ghastly things that behave exactly as they sound: by being toxic or poisonous to us. They can be found in more or less every process we complete throughout the day, from the food we eat, the liquid we drink to the products we use on our bodies. Washing powders, air fresheners, cars, factories even electricity pylons release chemical toxins into the world, all of which we absorb into our body through our mouth, our nose, our eyes and of course our skin. Toxins can be anything from chemical compounds to heavy metals, radio-active materials, pesticides, even things that we consider natural such as salt cause a chemical build up in our bodies! Our bodies were designed to eliminate a certain amount of chemical impurities but are hard put to cope with amount that are around today.

The importance of detoxification.

Detoxification is the process of removing the toxins from our bodies and giving all of our organs, but particularly the liver and kidneys a bit of a helping hand. Detoxification is often talked about by celebrities on detox diets but it can be done in many different ways, such as juice fasting, skin brushing, using food supplements, colonic cleansing and heat therapies such as saunas.

Far infrared detox cabins.

Far infrared saunas are much more beneficial compared to traditional saunas as they use a completely different process of producing heat that means that the temperature in one of these sauna never needs to get very high in order for the most profound amount of sweating to occur. Sweating is an incredible way of detoxifying the body as the skin covers every part of it and detoxification can occur all over. Detoxification is so important as a build up of all these unhealthy chemicals can lead to all kinds of medical problems. Weight gain, lethargy, sleeplessness, clinical depression, irritable bowel syndrome and migraines can all trace their root problems to an incorrect balance of chemical compounds in the body but a good detox program can rapidly reduce the symptoms of all of these minor complaints. Unlike traditional saunas the temperature in a far infrared sauna is quite low - detox cabins are extremely effective at about 48 degrees celcius whereas a traditional sauna runs at temperatures between 78 and 100 degrees celcius, producing a very intense and uncomfortable heat. Many people find that they cannot stand to be in a traditional sauna for more that about 10 minutes, but it is easy to not only sit comfortably but have a conversation, listen to music, read a book or even knit in a detox cabin for up to an hour at a time. Detox therapy works on the principle of producing a raise in body temperature to promote sweating and raise the heart rate thus increasing metabolic weight. When we become ill our body temperature increases, causing us to sweat out any impurities in our body. Our immune system fires up, heart and respiratory rates increase as our body prepares to do battle with the invading germs. In a detox box, the body simulates these conditions without illness, thus making the heart and lungs work, the immune system fire up and the body to begin sweating. In a regular sauna the heat is so intense that it only draws toxins from the body from about 3mm deep, but the intense heat then flashes them back into the body again. Far infrared heat is such a natural form of heat that our bodies actually produce it themselves and it is the easiest kind of heat for our bodies to absorb. This means that using a detox cabin allows the heat to go much deeper into our bodies, up to 70mm deep in some places, drawing toxins out from right within us and allowing them to be dispersed in the sweat we produce. The skin is the bodies largest organ of elimination but as we all tend to do a lot less that makes us sweat, we rarely use the organ as efficiently as we could do. Add to that the fact that there are more and more toxins around in the world you get a toxic overload in our systems that can lead to serious long term health problems.

Medical professionals in China and Japan have been researching the health benefits of far infrared saunas since the early 1960's while in Germany far infrared heat treatments have been used for over 80 years. All research and testing is pointing to the fact that this kind of treatment can have many far reaching consequences for increased health, reducing the risks of obesity, heart problems, lung problems, and multitudinous other health problems. There has been extensive research into the benefit of using prolonged heat in the treatment of cancer, as cancer cells are unable to survive in hyperthermic conditions. The temperature reached in a detox cabin is the best range of temperatures to deal with pre-cancerous and cancerous cells as if you use temperatures any higher you run the risk of destroying healthy cells as well as cancerous ones. Ancient people from as far back as over 5000 bc have used saunas as a way to keep mind and body healthy and cleansed and yet in this time of super technology, we assign saunas to the now and then if we can afford it spa time experience category. And yet rates of illness as high, lethargy, stress, insomnia, depression and all other similar minor illnesses abound throughout most of our lives.

It really seems that it might be a good idea if we weigh up the cost of a detox cabin against regular medication, sleepless nights, doctors bills and time off work and see if it is at all possible that we can not afford one of these amazing things. It can be used by the whole family from small children of about 5 to the very elderly which makes it an absolute bargain if you put that into perspective!

Not least there is a final point to consider. You go into the detox cabin, you shut the door, put some aromatherapy oil into a little bowl, turn on the relaxing music and the therapy lights and hang a DO NOT DISTURB sign on the door. And you settle back with your favourite book, or your eyes closed imagining you are on a tropical beach somewhere and for that time, that half an hour, that forty five minutes, that hour you are untouchable, cocooned is a small area of bliss, relaxation and peace. I don't know about you, but I would pay a couple of thousand a day just for that time.I am off to go and spend some quality time with my son in mine and when he gets out, for a while, a brief but precious while, there will just be me.