Anytime one enters a Sauna, you are instantly overcome by the overwhelming heat.  Why do people do this?  What benefits could something so hot possibly have?  Sauna temperatures are likely to reach 150-195 degrees Fahrenheit.  These are temperatures we don’t experience from a warm summer day outside.  Prolonged time spent in these temperatures help our body to trigger something called Heat Shock Proteins (HSP).  In fact, any temperature above 107.6 degrees will trigger this.

So what are Heat Shock Proteins?  According to the National Library of Medicine, “Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are the molecular chaperones, that are not only expressed during the normal growth process of cell cycle consecutively, but also get induced in cells during various stress conditions produced by cellular insult, environmental changes, temperature, infections, tumors etc.”  In similar terms, HSP effect the cell integrity which leads to many benefits.

Our bodies use Heat Shock Proteins for a number of things.  Amongst those things are: regulating metabolism, inflammation, and insulin resistance.  All of these can be a huge contributing factor to weight loss.  Anyone with insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes knows the struggle of trying to lose weight.  It is often harder for one with these conditions to shed the pounds.  However, a Sauna session can be a relaxing experience that helps take those struggles away.