- With Mayo Clinic dermatologist
Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D.
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Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D.
Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D.
Dr. Lawrence Gibson likens bad health information on the Internet to food poisoning.
Consumers, he said, need to be aware, and will find reliable information at MayoClinic.com.
Dr. Gibson, a Covington, Ky., native, has been with Mayo since 1986 and is board certified in dermatology, dermatopathology and immunodermatology. He is a professor of dermatology at Mayo Medical School and a consultant in the Department of Dermatology.
Dr. Gibson has been director of the Dermatopathology Laboratory since 1998 and chair of the Laboratory Division in the Department of Dermatology since 2000. He is especially interested in inflammatory disorders of the skin and lymphoma affecting the skin.
"Electronic information is becoming a staple in the diet of a health conscious society," he said. "It's important to avoid misinformation and provide a credible source for health information. Using this analogy, it's critical to avoid 'indigestion' or worse yet, 'food poisoning' by the ingestion of tainted information."
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Question
Infrared saunas: What are the health benefits?
I've read that infrared saunas help cleanse metals, poisons and other toxins from the body. Is this true?
Answer
from Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D.
While many people feel invigorated after a sauna, there's no evidence that infrared saunas cleanse your body of toxins.
Saunas have been around for 2,000 years and are an important part of many Scandinavian cultures. Traditionally, saunas have consisted of small rooms that are heated to very high temperatures with heated rocks. Water is added to create steam. Infrared saunas, which produce heat using infrared heating instead of hot rocks, have recently appeared as an alternative to traditional saunas.
Some studies do support health benefits of traditional saunas — as a treatment for chronic pain and chronic fatigue syndrome, for instance. Manufacturers of infrared saunas, however, often claim a wider array of health benefits, including that their saunas can rid your body of metals, unwanted acids, ammonia and other toxins. However, research is limited at this point. While it seems plausible that infrared saunas might have some of the same benefits as traditional saunas, it's impossible to be sure until research is available.
Before using any sauna, talk to your doctor to make sure it's safe. Spending time in a very hot sauna — 175 F (80 C) or higher — can be harmful for people with certain medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure.
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