The Benefits of Sweating

Let’s be honest, no one wants to have sweaty armpits at a business meeting or sweaty clothes at a dinner party. The clammy feeling and unpleasant smell of sweat are enough to have anyone looking for the closest exit sign. If you’re a heavy sweater, you probably have to wash your linens more frequently. You may even wear antiperspirant deodorant to keep yourself from sweating so much. However, did you know that there are actually many benefits of sweating? Not only does it help regulate body temperatures, but it also aids in detoxification. 

I understand the aversion to sweating. Our society values cleanliness, and sweating can often make you feel dirty. Typically, the most effective way to get a good sweat in is through exercise. However, I understand there are days when you may not feel like working out. Or, perhaps you’re not physically able due to an injury or disability. The good news is that there are many ways to enjoy the benefits of sweating without physical exertion. 

Whenever I want to sweat the day’s worries away, I like to use my Sunlighten infrared sauna. I’ll tell you more about the benefits of infrared sauna therapy later. Before I get into that, however, let’s talk about sweat. Why do we do it, and what are the benefits of sweating?

What is Sweat?

Sweat is your body’s primary way of staying cool, although it plays other roles as well. It’s made of about 99% water. The other 1% is a mixture of salt and lipids. Have you ever accidentally gotten sweat in your mouth? You likely noticed its salty flavor. Sweat is partly made up of sodium chloride, also known as table salt. However, it’s only a tiny percentage. The primary purpose of sweat is to regulate your body’s temperature. Up to a quart of sweat normally evaporates from your body every day. When your body becomes overheated, you sweat even more. The evaporation of sweat is what cools it down.

When your body temperature rises above 98.6º F, your brain signals your sweat glands to start producing sweat.  Sweat excretes through your pores and then evaporates. This action helps cool the surface of your skin. Sweat comes from two main glands in your body (1):

• Eccrine glands: These glands produce most of your sweat, especially the watery kind. They exist in higher concentration in your palms, soles of your feet, forehead, and armpit. In fact, they cover your entire body.
• Apocrine glands: These glands are larger and located on the armpits, groin, and breast area. They’re most often associated with body odor. Sweat itself is actually odorless. Body odor comes from bacteria in or around your sweat glands or hair follicles. 

Both of these glands play a role in why we sweat. Let’s discuss the three common reasons you sweat. 

Why Do You Sweat?

As I mentioned earlier, the most common reason you sweat is a change in your body temperature. Your body cools itself down through the evaporation of sweat. The other two common reasons for sweating are stress and eating spicy foods. 

I’m sure you have experienced sweaty palms and underarms that come with stress or fear. You may not realize that stress sweat is not the same as a cooling sweat. In fact, stress sweat actually comes from the apocrine sweat glands. 

When you face something stressful, your body activates fight-or-flight mode. Part of this response tells your adrenal glands to release adrenaline. Stress hormones also accompany adrenaline. These hormones increase your heart rate and blood flow. It also tenses up your muscles. That way, you're ready to react to whatever threat is around you. It also activates your apocrine glands. The apocrine glands then release a thicker sweat rich in lipids and proteins.

If you’ve eaten spicy food and started sweating, it wasn’t because of the spicy food itself. You started sweating because of an ingredient known as capsaicin. Capsaicin, which makes spicy foods spicy, interacts with temperature-sensitive nerves that detect warmth in your mouth. This interaction tricks your body into thinking your mouth is hot, even though it’s not. Since your body thinks it’s getting overheated, it reacts the best way it knows how — sweating!

It’s important to mention here that food metabolism increases your body temperature. You may find that eating a big meal might induce a light sweat. 

The Benefits of Sweating

While excessive sweating can be embarrassing, there are still many health benefits. From detoxification to skincare, the benefits of sweating go beyond body temperature regulation. Let’s talk about them. 

Detoxification

If you’re trying to reduce your toxic burden, sweating can help. Your liver, kidney, and respiratory systems help eliminate toxins from your body. Sweating is another excellent way to help you get rid of toxins. While the liver and kidney do most of the heavy lifting, you can’t ignore the very real benefits of sweating for detoxification. In fact, several studies show that sweating can purge heavy metals from the body. Specific heavy metals include lead, arsenic, and cadmium. One study found vigorous exercise produced greater amounts of lead and arsenic levels in sweat compared to sauna use (2). What’s more, a case report found that regular sauna use normalized mercury levels in the body (3). Whether it's exercise or saunas, sweating can help reduce your toxic load as part of a comprehensive detoxification protocol. Over time, chronic exposure to heavy metals can build up in your tissues. This can lead to autoimmune disease.

Better Skin

One of the more aesthetic benefits of sweating includes clearer, more beautiful skin. Your pores open up when you sweat. In doing so, your body releases dirt, bacteria, and other built-up material inside them. Sweat purges the body of toxins that can clog pores and plague the skin with pimples and blemishes. Intense sweat isn’t necessary to get the benefits of sweating for your skin. Mild or moderate sweating can provide the same benefits (4).

Sweating also removes excess sebum from your pores. This enhances your skin’s microbiome by secreting a natural antibiotic called Dermcidin. Dermcidin helps protect your skin against germs and bacteria overgrowth. Without a healthy skin microbiome, E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus can overpopulate. This can cause irritation and infection.

Body Temperature Regulation

I’ve mentioned this already yet it’s worth repeating. A normal body temperature is around 98.6°F. When you get too hot, your hypothalamus signals your sweat glands. This signal tells them to start producing sweat so your body can cool off.

As heat activates your sweat glands, they produce sweat and secrete it through your pores. The sweat then coats the surface of your skin. Shortly after it reaches the surface, the sweat evaporates. As a result, your body cools down.

Improved Circulation

One of the other benefits of sweating is better circulation. Remember, it's one of the easiest, most affordable ways to work up a good sweat. As you sweat, your heart rate increases to supply more blood to your active muscles. Exercise strengthens your heart and improves circulation. When you sweat during exercise, know that your heart and circulation benefits, too!

Boosts Your Immune System

Have you ever wondered why you sweat when you’re sick? When you have a fever, your body raises its temperature. This intelligently designed technique helps your body fight off bacteria and pathogens. Raising your body temperature and sweating helps to strengthen your immune system. After all, you need a robust immune system to prepare for the battle against viruses and bacteria.

Additionally, sweating lowers your stress hormones. It also improves white blood cell circulation and filters out harmful toxins. Together, these systems help enhance immune function and keep you healthy (5).

Benefits of Sweating During Exercise 

Sweating is normal during exercise. Did you know exercising increases your production of endorphins? Endorphins help boost energy and improve your mood. They even promote more restful sleep. Endorphins provide the euphoric feeling you get after exercise. They also give you a sense of happiness and fulfillment. 

Exercising for 30-60 minutes a day also promotes healthy heart function. In addition,  it lowers stress hormones and promotes weight loss. Some of my favorite ways to exercise include hikes with my family.

The benefits of sweating are vital to optimal health. One of my favorite ways to sweat is getting in my Sunlighten infrared sauna. Infrared therapy has other benefits besides the benefits of sweating. Let me tell you about them!

Infrared Therapy for Sweating 

What's fascinating about infrared light energy is that you can't see it, but you can feel it. Every object with a temperature gives off some form of infrared heat. Even objects that are very cold, such as an ice cube, give off infrared energy. Rocks, trees, chairs, and even the walls around you emit infrared energy. 

Infrared energy is a part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Within this spectrum are several scopes. The scope includes gamma rays, x-rays, and ultraviolet radiation. It also includes visible light, infrared light, microwaves, and radio waves. 

Infrared light interacts with objects in the form of heat and light. That's why it lives in the middle of the spectrum. Depending on the wavelength, the energy may or may not produce heat. However, it does spread through the body. This can provide a safe means for natural healing. This energy breaks into three different levels. 

The Difference between Infrared and Traditional Saunas

Infrared saunas increase your core temperature by gently penetrating several layers of tissue. This stimulation causes your cells to vibrate and enhances your natural metabolic processes. Infrared saunas can improve circulation, increase oxygenation, and make you sweat! You might be saying to yourself, don’t traditional saunas do the same thing? Not quite. 

Traditional Saunas

Traditional saunas increase your core temperature by increasing the air temperature around you. In other words, you are sitting in a small, hot, enclosed space that triggers your body to produce sweat. 

Most traditional saunas run between 150 to 210°F. They use a heat stove to emit extremely high temperatures, along with steam. This combination creates very hot and humid environments that increase your body temperature. 

Since traditional saunas produce extreme heat, limit your sessions to approximately 15 minutes. This can help prevent dehydration or overheating.

Infrared Saunas

Instead of using moist heat to warm the air, infrared saunas penetrate tissue with infrared wavelengths. The cellular vibrations through the tissues increase your temperature from the inside out. It's a much gentler, more gradual process. 

Infrared saunas operate at a lower, more tolerable temperature. Usually, they fall between 110-140°F. This gentler heat increases body temperature to produce sweat. 

Infrared light has three different levels: near (NIR), mid (MIR), and far (FIR). Each level has its distinct characteristics, frequency ranges, and benefits. These different levels represent the different wavelength sizes. It also refers to the intensity of the treatment. 

The NIR level promotes skin renewal, cell health, and tissue growth. It can also reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. By expanding blood vessels, MIR infrared light stimulates the cardiovascular system. It also supports healthy weight loss. The FIR level heats your body from the inside out to expel toxins such as heavy metals. It also stimulates sweat gland activation. 

Localized heat sent to the source means much more tolerable temperatures. In addition, it also offers many benefits of sweating. Think of detoxification and stress reduction. It can also help with pain relief, weight loss, and skin purification. 

Infrared saunas are a great way to get the benefits of sweating into your routine. There are additional ways to get the benefits of sweating naturally. This is incredibly important, especially for detoxification. 

How to Detox Naturally

Your body makes its own detoxifier called glutathione. Stress and a heavy toxic load can rapidly deplete your body's natural supply. That's why it's crucial to supplement so your body can combat these challenges. Unfortunately, most oral glutathione supplements on the market don’t actually work.

Years of research and clinical experience led me to discover the optimal form, molecular structure, and delivery method for supplemental oral glutathione needs to arrive in the gut and absorb efficiently. 

I formulated Acetyl-Glutathione, which uses an acetylation process and microcluster molecular structure. It's the most advanced available. The acetylation process protects the glutathione. That way, it doesn't break down before your body can use it. It's also in the best absorbable form.

You can combine Acetyl-Glutathione with a healthy diet, plenty of sleep, and exercise. That way, you’re ensuring your body has enough glutathione to support optimal health.

Activated Charcoal

Another tool I recommend is a natural substance called Activated Charcoal. That’s because it's an incredibly effective binder and chelator!

Activated Charcoal has a porous surface area that traps toxins, gas, and chemicals. It also mops up any toxic aftermath. After it traps the toxins, it transports them out of your body (6).

Activated Charcoal is incredible and is often used around the world. People use it to support detoxification after ingesting chemical or environmental poisons. 

The Recovery Kit

Take it from someone who tries to avoid environmental and dietary toxins like the plague. Whether I’m buying a new piece of furniture and avoiding flame retardants, booking a hotel room and trying to avoid mold, or simply ordering a meal at a restaurant, avoiding toxins is a full time job. That’s why I put together my Recovery Kit. It includes top-of-the-line Acetyl-Glutathione and adsorptive Activated Charcoal. Together, this dynamic duo helps mobilize, bind, and chelate environmental and foodborne toxins.

I know that unwanted sweating can be embarrassing. There’s a time and place for everything. The fact is, you need to sweat to achieve optimal health. Some of the major benefits of sweating include flushing toxins from your body. It also helps get rid of extra sebum from your skin. Sweating also supports your immune system and regulates body temperature. Using the tools I gave you today will help you appreciate and reap all the benefits of sweating!