Can sweat therapy lower blood sugar levels?
Disease description:
Recently, I went to a sauna with a friend, and he mentioned that sauna sessions can lower blood sugar levels, suggesting that I should do it regularly. I would like to ask, can sauna sessions actually lower blood sugar?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Yang Ziqi
Sauna therapy is a health practice that promotes bodily perspiration through a high-temperature environment. However, under normal circumstances, sauna therapy cannot effectively lower blood glucose levels.
During sauna therapy, the body accelerates metabolism to regulate body temperature, which may consume some glucose and temporarily reduce blood sugar levels. However, this effect is short-lived and cannot replace standard diabetes treatment. If patients also suffer from cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension or heart disease, sauna therapy might exacerbate their symptoms.
The primary effect of sauna therapy is to use high temperatures to stimulate perspiration through skin pores, aiming to achieve health benefits such as wellness promotion and weight loss. However, significant fluid loss occurs during sauna therapy, which may lead to an increase in blood glucose concentration, possibly worsening symptoms of hyperglycemia. Overreliance on non-medical approaches like sauna therapy to control blood sugar not only has limited effectiveness but may also pose health risks due to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.
Therefore, individuals with high blood glucose should not solely rely on sauna therapy for lowering blood sugar. They should pursue comprehensive management under the guidance of a healthcare professional and avoid blindly pursuing singular methods of blood sugar reduction.
