@siimland: Should you do the sauna or take an ice bath? Sauna has many protective health benefits and appears to even offset the higher risk of all-cause mortality related to lower socioeconomic status, high blood pressure, and high inflammation levels (PMID: 37270272) Using the sauna >4x a week compared to 2-3x is associated with: - 63% reduced heart disease mortality - 50% lower fatal cardiovascular disease - 46% lower risk of hypertension - 40% reduced all-cause mortality PMID: 25705824; PMID: 25705824 Sauna bathing is also associated with a reduced risk of dementia and neurodegeneration (PMID: 33088678) Those using the sauna 4-7 times a week have a 66% lower risk of dementia and 65% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease compared to doing so once a week (PMID: 27932366) Those are quite big benefits There's no study on cold water exposure showing those effects The sauna studies are done in Finland where most people do the cold water combined with sauna (cold water in between sauna sessions) A 2022 review found that cold water exposure has been seen to decrease ApoB, homocysteine, oxidative stress, cortisol, insulin, and immunoglobulins, while increasing free T3, immune cells, and insulin sensitivity (PMID: 36137565) Winter swimmers report great well-being, better mood, and reduced fatigue (PMID: 15253480) They also have higher glutathione levels, the powerful antioxidant, and stronger immunity (PMID: 8063192; PMID: 8925815) Overall, cold water exposure has some benefits But the sauna has a lot more research on actual longevity and better health outcomes @siimland #sauna #icebath #coldwater #icebaths

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Thursday 21 August 2025 12:08:18 GMT