Vandana V Shiralkar, P. Jagtap, G. Belwalkar
Jun 1, 2018
Citations
0
Influential Citations
5
Citations
Journal
Journal name not available for this finding
Abstract
amount of blood glucose rise is one of the risk markers for developing type II diabetes, so keeping it down is important for good health. Steam sauna increases insulin sensitivity. Insulin is an endocrine hormone that primarily regulates glucose homeostasis by promoting the uptake of glucose into muscle and adipose tissue. In humans, there is more evidence indicating that the major anabolic effects of insulin on skeletal muscle are due to its inhibitory action on protein degradation. Intermittent hyperthermia (by steam sauna) has been known to reduce insulin resistance in obese, diabetic mouse model. There was a 31% decrease in insulin levels and a notable reduction in blood glucose levels, suggesting resensitization to insulin.5 Nowadays, because of speedily changing lifestyles, lack of exercise, sedentary life systems, and stress, early onset of diabetes is common, with overweight and obesity. For such people, steam bath is a boon. Steam bath appears to be useful as it increases the rate of metabolism. Most people are unaware of the health benefits of sweating and use of steam bath for improving their health. Heating of the body in steam bath creates “sensible perspiration.” Producing 1 gm of sweat requires 0.585 Kcal. A person can sweat off up to 500 gm in steam sauna consuming nearly 300 Kcal, which is equal to running 2 to 3 miles. It gives the benefits of exercise without exertion.6 Thus, “artificially induced fever leads to therapeutic sweating.” Moreover, when the body temperature rises, blood vessels start to dilate. This encourages blood flow and circulation within the body. The function of the vascular endothelium is impaired in subjects with lifestyle-related diseases, such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, obesity, and smoking. Vascular endothelium is a monolayer covering the intimal surface and plays a pivotal role in maintaining vasomotor tone, coagulation, fibrinolysis and vascular structure, modulating inflammatory response, and oxidative stress. Endothelial cells secrete many substances, including nitric oxide, prostacyclin, endothelial-derived hyperpolarizing factors, endothelin, thromboxane, growth factors cytokines, and others. Endothelial function is determined by the balance among these substances.7 Thermal therapies, such as taking a warm water bath or steam sauna, induces systemic vasodilatation. 1Assistant Professor, 2Professor and Head, 3Associate Professor, 4,5Professor 1-5Department of Biochemistry, Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University Medical College and Hospital, Sangli, Maharashtra India