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Heat exposure linked to better sleep, experts say — here's why

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Heat exposure linked to better sleep, experts say — here's why

Heat exposure has been linked to lasting benefits for overall health.

Spending time in heated environments, like a sauna, can reduce the risk of some chronic diseases and can help improve sleep, research has shown.

In an on-camera interview with Fox News Digital, Todd Anderson, co-founder of Dream Performance & Recovery and host of the “Beat the Heat” podcast, shared some lesser-known effects of spending time in a sauna.

SUNLIGHT EXPOSURE CAN BRING LIFE-CHANGING HEALTH BENEFITS, EXPERT SAYS

“Sauna went from this thing that felt good, to something that could actually be a longevity tool,” said the Nashville-based health and wellness expert. “The combination of this hard science and the explosion in longevity and popularity has created something.”

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Spending time in a sauna can have multiple health benefits, studies have shown. (iStock)

Increased “sauna bathing” has been associated with a reduced risk of sudden cardiac death, fatal coronary heart disease, fatal cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality, according to research from Finland.

Participants in a global sauna survey in 2019 also reported health benefits regarding mental well-being and sleep, with few adverse effects.

The survey found that participants — particularly from Finland, Australia and the U.S. — were most motivated to use saunas for relaxation.

How heat improves sleep

While saunas can improve longevity and mood, Anderson, whose podcast is hosted inside a sauna, added that heat exposure can also improve sleep.

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JUST ONE NIGHT OF POOR SLEEP COULD HAVE THESE SURPRISING HEALTH EFFECTS

When the body heats up before sleep, the blood vessels open, allowing the body to get more circulation to the extremities, he said.

Although the body’s core temperature needs to cool down by about a degree to fall into quality sleep, raising the body temperature might seem “counterintuitive,” the expert added.

When the body heats up before sleep, the blood vessels open, allowing the body to get more circulation to the extremities, an expert said. (iStock)

But since the blood vessels are open and pumping more blood, this allows the core temperature to lower faster, and the body’s instinct is to cool itself off after being exposed to heat.

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“You go into a cold, dark room … and all of a sudden you’re able to lower your core temperature much more quickly than you normally would, resulting in falling asleep faster and getting higher quality sleep throughout that first part of the night,” Anderson said.

“Plenty of evidence shows that viruses do not do well in environments with high temperatures.”

The expert added that the same sleep benefits can be captured with a hot bath, shower or hot tub.

“The longevity and all-cause mortality benefits are going to be connected particularly to the sauna,” he said. “But there are some great sleep studies [showing the benefits] of applying any type of heat before bed.”

Viruses don’t like it hot

Exposure to heat can also help boost the immune system, as the body’s natural response to fighting a bug is to spike a fever, according to critical care physician Dr. Roger Seheult.

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Methods like steam saunas raise the body’s natural temperature and can help kill off viruses that don’t fare well in the heat, he said.

“Plenty of evidence shows that viruses do not do well in environments with high temperatures, and that our body signals the innate immune system using fever,” the California-based doctor told Fox News Digital.

Methods like steam saunas raise the body’s natural temperature and can help kill off viruses that don’t fare well in the heat. (iStock)

In addition to the health benefits, Anderson noted that he’s made lasting friendships during sauna sessions.

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“It’s a rare bubble in our society right now where phones don’t work. You’re face-to-face. You’re going through some controlled adversity,” he told Fox News Digital. “There [are] just so many things that I think have dissipated from our society that are brought back to life in a sauna.”

BENEFITS OF COLD WATER: HEALTH GURU AND EXTREME ATHLETE WIM HOF SAYS WE HAVE ‘POWER WITHIN’ TO HEAL DISEASE

“When you go through stress together, your brain is wired, and it promotes connection with other people.”

Accessibility for all

Enjoying a sauna doesn’t have to require a luxury health club membership, according to Anderson, as saunas have been popularized in many cultures for generations.

“There are ways to make them with scrap wood and there are some different, cheap heating options,” he said.

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Todd Anderson (right) sits outside his sauna after a session with “Beat the Heat” guest Ken Rideout. (Todd Anderson)

In Finland, a country where saunas are a part of the everyday routine, there are more than five million people and three million saunas, noted Anderson, who recently visited there.

“Almost everybody has a sauna at their house,” he shared.

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In many countries, saunas are part of the overall culture and can have healing properties, Anderson went on.

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“It’s a feeling. It’s very stress-free, in tune with their body connection. Families do it together. It’s this spiritual thing.”

In many countries, saunas are part of the overall culture and can have healing properties, Anderson said. (iStock)

Proper practice and potential risk

The average person will lose a pint of sweat during a short session in a sauna’s dry heat, according to Harvard Health.

“The pulse rate jumps by 30% or more, allowing the heart to nearly double the amount of blood it pumps each minute,” stated the Harvard Medical School publication.

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“Most of the extra blood flow is directed to the skin; in fact, the circulation actually shunts blood away from the internal organs. Blood pressure is unpredictable, rising in some people but falling in others.”

While saunas are generally safe for most people, Harvard Health cautioned that people with uncontrolled high blood pressure or heart disease should check with their doctors before participating.

“A sauna’s dry heat (which can get as high as 185°F) has profound effects on the body,” Harvard Health wrote. (iStock)

Sauna-goers should also avoid alcohol and medications that may “impair sweating and produce overheating before and after your sauna,” according to the same source.

Harvard advised staying in the sauna for no more than 15 to 20 minutes and gradually cooling down after.

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Drinking two to four glasses of cool water is also encouraged after a session.

“Don’t take a sauna when you are ill,” Harvard Health warned. “And if you feel unwell during your sauna, head for the door.”

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Health experts react as Andrew Huberman backs Trump admin’s new food pyramid

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Health experts react as Andrew Huberman backs Trump admin’s new food pyramid

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The Trump administration has taken a new approach to the food pyramid.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced new guidelines on Wednesday with an updated, inverted pyramid. The top of the pyramid, which is now the wider part of the structure, is built on meat, fats, fruits and vegetables, while whole grains are at the narrow bottom.

This follows HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s mission to “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA), aimed at addressing chronic disease, childhood illnesses and ultraprocessed foods.

DOCTORS WARN SOME POPULAR FOODS AND DRINKS COULD BE SECRETLY SABOTAGING MEN’S TESTOSTERONE LEVELS

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“The new guidelines recognize that whole, nutrient-dense food is the most effective path to better health and lower health care costs,” Kennedy said during a press briefing in Washington, D.C. 

“Protein and healthy fats are essential, and were wrongly discouraged in prior dietary guidelines. We are ending the war on saturated fats.”

The Trump administration announces the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, putting “real food” back at the center of health. (realfood.gov)

The HHS secretary rallied against refined carbohydrates, food additives and added sugar, highlighting the health risks associated with sugar-sweetened beverages. 

Kennedy’s main message to Americans was to “eat real food.”

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TRUMP ADMIN’S NEW NUTRITION GUIDELINES TARGET ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS, EASE UP ON RED MEAT AND SATURATED FATS

The announcement triggered reactions from top health and wellness voices, including Stanford neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman, host of the “Huberman Lab” podcast.

In a post on X, Huberman shared the White House’s graphic of the new pyramid, praising the decisions that were made.

“Oatmeal (and I think that’s rice and sourdough) made the cut!” he commented. “In all seriousness, assuming overall calories are kept in check and people exercise & get sun(day)light, this looks spot on.”

He added, “Maybe up the veggies a bit, add low-sugar fermented foods like sauerkraut & this is great.”

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Huberman said in a thread on the same post that Americans “don’t have to eat all the foods” shown in the diagram.

“You won’t see me drinking milk or eating shrimp,” he said. “Nothing against shrimp, I just don’t like the taste. Aversion to crustaceans.”

“Maybe up the veggies a bit, add low-sugar fermented foods like sauerkraut & this is great,” Huberman commented on X. (Chance Yeh/Getty Images for HubSpot; iStock)

The new guidelines received praise from other major health figures, including former FDA commissioner Dr. David Kessler.

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“There should be broad agreement that eating more whole foods and reducing highly processed carbohydrates is a major advance in how we approach diet and health,” Kessler told The Associated Press.

“Protein and healthy fats are essential, and were wrongly discouraged in prior dietary guidelines.”

Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, president of the American Medical Association, shared in a statement that these guidelines “affirm that food is medicine and offer clear direction patients and physicians can use to improve health.”

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“The American Medical Association applauds the Administration’s new Dietary Guidelines for spotlighting the highly processed foods, sugar-sweetened beverages and excess sodium that fuel heart disease, diabetes, obesity and other chronic illnesses,” Mukkamala wrote.

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The American Medical Association applauded the HHS for its updated nutrition guidelines. (iStock)

But not all feedback was positive.

Some people expressed concern about prioritizing red meat and dairy, while calling for the limitation of saturated fat.

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Neal Barnard, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, shared in a reaction to STAT that while the guidelines “do have one or two good points, emphasizing fruits and vegetables and limiting alcohol,” the guidelines are “for the most part a strong reflection of industry influence.”

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Christopher Gardner, a nutrition expert at Stanford University, also spoke out against the new guidelines, as reported by NPR.

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“I’m very disappointed in the new pyramid that features red meat and saturated fat sources at the very top, as if that’s something to prioritize. It does go against decades and decades of evidence and research,” said Gardner, who was a member of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.

Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf, as well as Alexandria Hoff of Fox News, contributed reporting.

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Matt Damon’s Gluten-Free Diet Helped Him Lose 18 Pounds

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Matt Damon’s Gluten-Free Diet Helped Him Lose 18 Pounds


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Matt Damon’s Weight Loss: Actor Drops 18 Lbs with This Diet | Woman’s World




















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Deadly cancer risk could drop with single 10-minute workout, study suggests

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Deadly cancer risk could drop with single 10-minute workout, study suggests

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A single 10-minute workout may trigger blood changes that help fight colon cancer.

That’s according to new research from scientists at Newcastle University, who found that exercise quickly changes the blood in ways that affect colon cancer cells in the lab.

In the study, the U.K. researchers exposed colon cancer cells to human blood serum collected immediately after exercise, finding that the cells repaired DNA damage faster and showed gene activity patterns linked to slower growth.

SPIKE IN DEADLY CANCER BEFORE 50 LINKED TO COMMON CONVENIENCE FOODS

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The blood samples came from 30 adults who had just completed a short, high-intensity cycling workout that lasted about 10 to 12 minutes, according to a press release.

Even a 10-minute burst of intense exercise may send protective signals through the blood that affect colon cancer cells, researchers say. (iStock)

Samuel T. Orange, an associate professor at Newcastle University and one of the study’s authors, spoke with Fox News Digital about the findings.

“Our findings show that exercise rapidly triggers molecular changes in the bloodstream that can act directly on colon cancer cells, reshaping gene activity and supporting DNA damage repair,” he said.

COMMON OVER-THE-COUNTER MEDICATION SLASHES COLORECTAL CANCER RECURRENCE IN HALF

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The results suggest that even brief activity can make a difference. “Every movement matters. Exercise doesn’t need to last hours or happen in a gym,” Orange added.

The research suggests that exercise quickly triggers changes in the blood that affect colon cancer cells and helps support DNA repair. (iStock)

One of the most surprising findings, according to the researcher, was how strong the biological response was after even a single workout.

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“Exercise altered the activity of more than 1,000 genes in colon cancer cells,” he shared.

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Even brief bouts of activity can make a difference, the researcher said.  (iStock)

The study findings suggest that the effect is driven by exercise-triggered molecules released into the bloodstream, sometimes referred to as “exerkines,” which act like chemical messengers and send signals throughout the body.

“Each time you exercise, you trigger biological signals that support health and resilience to diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease,” Orange said.

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The researchers cautioned that the study was conducted using cancer cells grown in the laboratory, not in patients.

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The findings are based on experiments using colon cancer cells grown in the lab, not studies conducted in people, the researchers noted. (iStock)

The study involved 30 healthy male and female volunteers between the ages of 50 and 78. Their blood samples were used to carry exercise-triggered signals to cancer cells grown in the lab.

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“These findings now need to be replicated in people with cancer,” Orange said. “We also need to better understand the longer-term effects of repeated exercise signals over time.”

Despite the limitations, the researcher said the findings strengthen the case for exercise as an important part of colon cancer prevention.

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“Each time you move your body and get a little breathless, you’re contributing to better health and may help influence biological processes linked to bowel cancer,” he added.

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