Last week, the National Enquirer reported that Jennifer Aniston is using a portable infrared sauna installed at home to fend off cancer cells.
Proponents of the unregulated treatment believe that, unlike regular saunas, which only heat the skin’s surface, infrared rays warm from the inside, killing off bacteria, molds, viruses, fungi and cancer cells before they turn into a tumor.
But not everyone’s on board with the practice.
Oncologists from Sloan Kettering and the University of Texas’ Anderson Cancer Center don’t vouch for the sauna’s health benefits. Brent Bauer, the director of Mayo Clinic’s Complementary and Integrative Medicine program, said that, although a few small preliminary studies have explored using saunas to treat high blood pressure, congestive heart failure and arthritis, more research is needed to measure the sauna’s effectiveness for cancer.
However, for clinical-nutrition student Wendy Myers, saunas are a way to extend her life — literally.
For the last five years, the 43-year-old lifestyle blogger has been using a $1,200 infrared sauna in her Los Angeles home three-to-five times a week, for 45 minutes at a time, to fight cancer cells. Myers started using the portable sweat-room five years ago as a non-invasive way to treat low hormone production and thyroid function, which she says stimulate cancer cell growth. She first read about the treatment on an alternative-health Web site.
“I’ve never felt better,” Myers says. “People who use this are going to have longer health and longevity.”
“I like saunas because I feel better afterward,” Bauer adds. “For now, that’s the best reason to use one. If the science shows us some stronger benefits down the road, I’ll increase my usage then.”