The Surprising Health Benefits of Saunas

We were already excited to hear about coffee and eggs, but this is making it almost too much to handle — a new study  says that the more times you use a sauna the better it is for your health.

Over 2,000 Finnish men were followed for over 20 years, and those who put on a towel and sweated in the dry, hot, wooden room only once a week had a mortality rate of about 50%. But those who went an incredible 4-7 times a week had a mortality rate that was closer to 30%. Those numbers seem a little too crazy for us to believe, but at least one cardiologist in this article seems quite convinced. He says that its positive affects on blood pressure, and possibly blood vessels, helps fight against multiple diseases and health issues.

The only real caveat is this is a sauna, not a steam bath or a hot tub. We agree that both of those make us feel great, but there is no evidence we can find that they’re going to lengthen your life. So you’ll need to find one of those spots with the rocks and benches and probably old men talking about the good old days.

And finally, we all need to head over to Finland. They have as many saunas as television sets and, “they’re also standard amenities in offices and factories.” We’re checking plane fare right now.