This is some sort of sick joke, right?

Alex · 03-24-2006, 11:12 AM

The idea of "sweating out toxins" is a very common one in the fringes of altnernative health and New Age healing but it is not an idea looked kindly upon in mainstream medical circles, mostly for the reason that GD mentions: there is no physical connection between your sweat glands and the organs your body uses to process toxins.

One of the more organized proponents of sweat detoxification through exercise and saunas is Scientology. L. Ron Hubbard was a big proponent of the idea and it plays a big role in the purifications programs at Scientology drug rehab centers where it is used to "detoxify" the body of the drugs faster. I don't care about the religious beliefs of Scientologists but in my view they don't get much actual science correct.

In the New Agier side of things "Infrared Saunas" are very popular but also have no evidence in support of their claims. The Broadcast Advertising Authority in the UK cited the Veraform Sauna Belt in 2005 for making unsupported claims of weight loss and detoxification through sweating. It specifically mentions that all medical evidence indicates sweat-related weight loss is temporary and is simply dehydration that is eventually replaced with water consumption.

03-24-2006, 11:12 AM	#10
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	The idea of "sweating out toxins" is a very common one in the fringes of altnernative health and New Age healing but it is not an idea looked kindly upon in mainstream medical circles, mostly for the reason that GD mentions: there is no physical connection between your sweat glands and the organs your body uses to process toxins. One of the more organized proponents of sweat detoxification through exercise and saunas is Scientology. L. Ron Hubbard was a big proponent of the idea and it plays a big role in the purifications programs at Scientology drug rehab centers where it is used to "detoxify" the body of the drugs faster. I don't care about the religious beliefs of Scientologists but in my view they don't get much actual science correct. In the New Agier side of things "Infrared Saunas" are very popular but also have no evidence in support of their claims. The Broadcast Advertising Authority in the UK cited the Veraform Sauna Belt in 2005 for making unsupported claims of weight loss and detoxification through sweating. It specifically mentions that all medical evidence indicates sweat-related weight loss is temporary and is simply dehydration that is eventually replaced with water consumption.
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