Sauna: hot air against dementia
Luise Heine has been an editor at since 2012. The qualified biologist studied in Regensburg and Brisbane (Australia) and gained experience as a journalist in television, in the Ratgeber-Verlag and in a print magazine. In addition to her work at , she also writes for children, for example for the Stuttgarter Kinderzeitung, and has her own breakfast blog, “Kuchen zum Frühstück”.
More posts by Luise Heine All content is checked by medical journalists.Dementia is a specter that you would like to keep away from yourself. A tried and tested means to cheat the mental decline: lots of hot air. At least hard-working sauna-goers are less likely to get dementia, Finnish scientists have now announced. However, you have to sweat quite often for this.
In Finland every small house has its own sauna. With this, the Finns not only survive their long and icy winters, they apparently also keep themselves mentally fit. At least that is what Prof. Jari Laukkanen and his team from the University of Eastern Finland believe. They examined the health status and sauna habits of 2,000 men over the age of 20.
Risk of dementia more than halved
The test subjects divided them into three groups: the first went to the sauna once a week, the next two to three times and the third group even deliberately worked up a sweat four to seven times a week. When the researchers compared the data, it was found that the extreme sauna users in the third group were on average 66 percent less likely to develop dementia, and the risk of Alzheimer's disease was reduced by 65 percent.
Comfortable sweating
Previous evaluations had already shown that sweating in the sauna can also reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death or other potentially fatal cardiovascular events. Going to the sauna can protect both the heart and the memory, is the conclusion of the study authors.
However, the mechanism behind it is still unclear. “But we know that cardiovascular health also influences the brain,” explains study author Laukkanen. It is also possible that the sense of well-being and relaxation that comes with taking a sauna contribute to the positive effects of sweating.
Dancing against dementia
To what extent the results can be transferred to Germany is questionable. Because there are some sauna fans here, but very few manage to expose themselves to the heat four to seven times a week. It is probably more realistic to use other levers to prevent dementia. Regular exercise, for example dancing, a balanced diet, but also little alcohol or a good social network are also considered good protection against mental deterioration.
Source: Tanjaniina Laukkanen et al. Sauna bathing is inversely associated with dementia and Alzheimer's disease in middle-aged Finnish men. Age and Aging, December 2016 DOI: 10.1093 / aging / afw212
.jpg)
