It is well known that sauna bathing has several good effects on the body. Perhaps a little more unknown, is that sauna can also have positive effects on your mood, too. Stress-related diseases, mental illness and depression are major and growing problems that affects both individuals and society. As the prescription of antidepressants increases, so does the interest in alternative ways to affect health and mood.
Researchers have determined that regular sauna baths have measurable positive effects on serotonin levels in the blood. Serotonin is the so-called "happiness hormone" that affects our mood and behavior. With low serotonin levels, depression symptoms occur.
"We are used to associating warmth with a feeling of pleasure. Intuitively, we know that we feel good about heat, which has been the starting point for our research," says Christopher Lowry, a Researcher at the University of Colorado to Colorado Arts and Sciences.
Lowry notes that while there is still some work to be done, there is a clear link between temperature and how we feel. Depressed people often feel frozen and it is common for antidepressants to give sweats. It is also known from the past that exercise is mood-enhancing, something that Lowry believes can be partly linked to the elevated body temperature resulting from physical exertion.
If you are looking for a natural therapy to support your mental health and mood, give sauna a try. With your own sauna at home, it is even easier to make warmth and relaxation a beneficial and integral part of your everyday life.