Having a sauna can save your life, say Finnish researchers

A sauna does more than build up a sweat. It can be a lifesaver, research says. Middle-aged men who take frequent saunas are less likely to die from heart conditions than those who do not, scientists have found.

Those who visited saunas most often — up to once every day — experienced the greatest benefit. Even compared with men who took one sauna a week, their risk of dying from cardiovascular disease was 50% lower.

More time spent sweating it out in each sauna session also appeared to be protective. The study was conducted among 2,315 men aged 42 to 60 from eastern Finland, where there is a strong sauna tradition.