Baths Reduce Your Risk of Heart Disease
How often do you take a hot bath? If your answer is not often, we have a reason for why you should take a lot more hot or warm bath for your well-being and overall physical health. Until recently, the scientific evidence showing the medical importance bathing for hygiene, health, and beauty wasn’t available; thanks to the convenience of world wide web, we do the research and bring that information right to you.
We completely understand... you’re busy, successful, have a demanding career, home life and more, and taking a hot or warm bath can feel like a huge commitment given the lack of time you have at the end of a busy day. You may be hustling to workout, getting ready for the next day, making dinner or if you have kids, helping with homework or just getting your rugrat(s) squared away. In addition to the amount of time and water to fill your tub, bathing can feel like a daunting task instead of a time for tranquil solitude and personal enjoyment.
A study published in the BMJ Journal featuring Cardiac Risk Factors and prevention gives you permission to take the extra time for a relaxing soak your tub. The study in the BMJ Journal titled Heart shows that taking a bath daily can significantly reduce your risk of heart disease by 28 percent and the risk of a stroke by 26 percent. Taking frequent baths are also associated with lowering your blood pressure and reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes.
The Benefits of Bathing
From 1990 to 2009, researchers in Japan studied the well-being and bathing habits of 30,076 volunteers between the age of 40 and 59 years old with no history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) or cancer.
What they found is that the more the participants bathed the lower their diastolic blood pressure and lower levels of glycated hemoglobin which is in your red blood cells and can attach to sugar in your blood. The higher your levels of this molecule increase your risk factor for type 2 diabetes.
They also found that the temperature of your bath water makes a substantial difference too. If your water is hot, you'll reduce your risk of heart disease by 35 percent and warm water reduces your risk of heart disease by 26 percent. The key takeaway is that enjoying a relaxing hot or warm bath has more benefits than mere personal hygiene and cleanliness.
Whether its for therapy, muscle and joint pain or pure indulgence, bathing in hot or warm water will help improve your circulation, stress, and overall health. Now that your armed with this information on the benefits of bathing, what are you waiting for, take the time and dip your toes into a relaxing hot bath today.