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Researchers ask if heating the body can treat depression : NPR
NPR • • nation
Key Points:
- Heat has long been believed to benefit mental health, but scientific evidence supporting heat as a legitimate mental health intervention remains limited, though promising.
- Sauna use, often combined with cold plunges, is gaining popularity globally, partly due to its social and psychological benefits such as stress reduction, improved mood, and better sleep.
- Research indicates heat triggers physiological responses linked to mood regulation, including anti-inflammatory effects and activation of serotonin neurons, which may provide antidepressant effects.
- Studies show people with depression often have impaired thermoregulation, and heat therapy may improve this by training the body to cool down more efficiently, potentially reducing depressive symptoms.
- Preliminary trials combining heat therapy with cognitive behavioral therapy suggest potential benefits for depression, but larger, controlled studies are needed to confirm effectiveness and establish heat therapy as a complementary mental health treatment.
