Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Hello, I'm Liz Earle, and a very warm welcome to Age Better. Now, spotlight is on you on a Monday, and I am here to answer your questions and dive into the research. So you don't have to, basically. You just have to listen. So if you have a question for me, please do get in touch. All the contact details are in the episode description and at the end of the show.
So coming up today then, can infrared saunas reduce the risk of Alzheimer's? Well, I'll be sharing my thoughts for Sonia. Nikki wants to know if there's a link between perimenopausal hormone changes and gluten intolerance. Then Bev needs some help with injury prevention in her strength training. And Kate wonders if a loud heart works. is actually heart palpitations.
And then just to round off the show, Carol asks about how to manage heartburn and indigestion. Okay, so let's begin today with Sonia's question and you write, Hi Liz, I watched a reel from Dr. Sam Watts this week talking about the benefits of a sauna in regard to reducing Alzheimer's risk. I know that you are an infrared sauna user. I'd love to know your thoughts on this.
Would an infrared blanket be worth buying or using an infrared pod? These options are more in my budget. Some of the comments on The Real give opinions, but I can't see any evidence-based information apart from a study mentioned from 2015. And I'm hoping that you might be able to answer this for me. Thank you. Oh, really good question. Thanks, Sonia.
Do you know, I think it's interesting, sauna therapy is one of those wellness areas where the science is genuinely interesting and forthcoming. Although I have to say, social media can sometimes overstate what we do really know.
There is evidence linking sauna use with a reduced risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease, particularly from well-known Finnish studies, where they have a lot of saunas, don't they, in Finland?
There was a large long term study that found that people using a sauna four to seven times a week, that is quite a lot, yes, had a significantly lower risk of dementia compared with those using it once weekly. Hmm. Now, it's important to say that these studies were mainly on the traditional Finnish saunas, so not specifically infrared saunas.
And they show association rather than direct cause and effect. But, you know, the findings are strong enough for many longevity researchers, particularly to take them seriously. And the mechanisms that they're proposing here are quite fascinating. So heat exposure appears to improve circulation and cardiovascular health and blood vessel function.
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Chapter 2: Can perimenopause trigger a gluten intolerance?
And, you know, what's good for the heart is often good for the brain. Sauna use may also reduce inflammation. It can improve insulin sensitivity. It can support sleep and activate things called heat shock proteins. And these help cells repair and become more resilient. So overall, good news. And this really, I think, brings us to the idea of hormesis or hormesis.
Chapter 3: What should I consider to avoid injuries while strength training?
So this is one of the most interesting concepts in wellness. I talk about this actually in my book, How to Age, because hormesis or hormesis is essentially the idea that small manageable stresses help the body become stronger and more resilient over time. So, for example, exercise is hormesis. Cold exposure is hormesis.
Chapter 4: Why is my heartbeat so loud at night?
So is fasting and heat exposure from sauna bathing or sauna use is another example. Essentially, when the body has these mild stressors, it switches on repair pathways and resilience mechanisms. So we're not talking about overwhelming stress, but strategic stress that helps the body adapt and function more strongly over time. So let's look at infrared saunas here.
So the evidence, well, the evidence base, frankly, is a lot smaller, but it is promising. So the way they work is they are heating the body more directly with their wavelengths, but at lower temperatures.
Chapter 5: How can I manage heartburn and indigestion?
So many of us will find them easier to tolerate. You don't get that extreme heat and dripping sweat that you can get perhaps with a finished sauna. Now, there is some evidence for circulation benefits, for pain relief, relaxation, for metabolic health. But, you know, the data isn't there to the same depth as with traditional saunas.
And then when you look at things like blankets and pods that you talk about, I honestly think that accessibility to these things, which is much easier, isn't it, than splashing out on a really expensive infrared sauna? Accessibility and, of course, consistency matter here perhaps more than perfection.
So, again, they haven't been studied in the same way as full saunas, so we can't say they give identical results. But I think there is evidence to suggest that an infrared blanket or a pod will...
generally give you gentle heat stress it can improve sleep and it can support relaxation and circulation so yeah i think there's a reasonable argument that you're going to gain benefit from using one of these things are they going to be as effective as an infrared sauna no because an infrared sauna is more powerful and it gets all around you and you sit in it and it's Very easy to use.
Chapter 6: Will using a sauna reduce my risk of dementia?
It's something that you can use quite often if you've got one at home. Whereas some of these pods, you've got to put them up. You've got to kind of get yourself inside them. They're not perhaps as comfortable. You can't move around or multitask if you're somebody that likes to take a book or whatever into the infrared sauna with you. So, you know, there's that kind of barrier to entry maybe.
So I would say they are a practical, budget-friendly entry point if you're interested in exploring this.
I would actually say that the traditional sauna use is a part of a much bigger healthy aging picture so yes I think traditional sauna use the data is there but don't forget that Finnish study it was looking at people who were doing it up to seven times a week so every single day fine if you're living in Finland and that's your kind of social vibe that's what people do isn't it after work they meet each other not for a drink in the pub but they meet in the sauna and
So I think, bear that in mind, that we're not going to get the same effect if we're just using that perhaps once or even twice a week. But yeah, I do like infrared sauna. That is bottom line. And I do think that the evidence is mounting for that, working in a different way.
So not just with the heat, which is what you're getting from a finished sauna, but also with the benefit of the infrared wavelengths penetrating more deeply into the skin. and affecting change at a cellular level.
You know, I always talk about mitochondria, for example, and there is evidence to suggest that infrared light is affecting mitochondria, perhaps in a different way from plain heat from a Finnish sauna. So, yeah, sorry, long answer there. But I think, yes, probably worth a try. Not the same effect as an infrared sauna, but definitely some potential benefit.
I'd be really interested to hear how you get on if you do decide to invest in a bit of kit. Please let us know. Fascinating. Well, on to Bev's question next. And you say, Oh my gosh. My question is, are there any lower body strength exercises I should be avoiding as all this has only started since I started strength training? Many thanks for your podcast and your never ending advice.
Thank you very much, Bev. You also sent a slightly longer letter talking about all the other things that you do, including things like Peloton bike, Pilates, yoga. dog walking and all the different supplements that you're taking for IBS specifically.
So, well, first of all, I super admire what you're doing because, you know, starting strength training post-menopause is genuinely one of the best things that we women can do for our long-term health. Great for bones, for our metabolism, great for independence as we age. So I definitely would not want this to put you off training completely because
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