An infrared study found high metal concentrations in sweat
A study of 22 adults found metals and nutrients in sweat. Its large comparisons with earlier studies did not come from a head-to-head trial.
Worth knowing: The paper alternates Ti and Tl in its element list; its results table reports Tl. This summary avoids relying on that inconsistent entry.
The short version
Twenty-two adults used a water-filtered infrared-A device while researchers collected sweat. They measured toxic elements and nutrients, reporting some much higher concentrations than earlier studies. Those comparisons can sound dramatic. But different people and collection methods were involved, and the study did not include its own conventional-sauna control group. It measured what was in sweat, without measuring whether blood levels or the amount stored in the body fell.
Keep in mind
The large multiples compare different studies. They do not show that this device removes more metal from the same people.
What they found
Reported mean sweat concentrations included lead 312.85 µg/L and mercury 29.90 µg/L. Nutrient elements were also present.
What this means for your practice
These measurements do not establish the superiority of a sauna type or a need for supplements.
Methods and limitations
What the researchers did
Sweat was collected during one 30-minute session and analyzed for 18 elements.
How much can this tell us?
The paper notes that collection conditions differed across studies and sweat volume was not accounted for in the concentration comparisons. No health improvement was tested.
What makes it useful
- Measures both toxic and nutrient elements
What limits it
- No concurrent control
- No blood or urine follow-up
- Concentration rather than total loss
Where this study fits
Where this study fits
We score claims, not single studies. This one is part of the evidence for:
Sweat can carry arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury out of the body. Some support
Low certaintySize not reportedBody signals
Read the original
Cho KH et al. Effect of water filtration infrared-A (wIRA) sauna on inorganic ions excreted through sweat from the human body. Environmental Science and Pollution Research International. 2022.
DOI 10.1007/s11356-022-23437-3 · PubMed 36207634