Finnish Study Finds 30-Minute Sauna Lifts All White Blood Cell Types
Updated
Updated · ScienceDaily · Jul 28
Finnish Study Finds 30-Minute Sauna Lifts All White Blood Cell Types
2 articles · Updated · ScienceDaily · Jul 28
Summary
A 30-minute sauna session in a 51-adult Finnish study temporarily increased every type of white blood cell circulating in the bloodstream, including neutrophils and lymphocytes.
Those key immune cells returned to baseline about 30 minutes after the session, suggesting sauna heat with a brief cold shower mobilized cells from tissues rather than creating lasting immediate changes.
cytokine shifts were modest on average, though several signaling molecules changed in line with how much participants' body temperature rose; white blood cell counts did not track temperature the same way.
The researchers said the short-term immune surge may help explain health benefits previously linked to regular sauna use, but the single-session experiment cannot show lasting immune effects or long-term health gains.