Regular hot baths can help stave off diabetes
CONSISTENT hot baths can fend off Type 2 diabetes, new research suggests.
The baths were shown to improve blood sugar control which is a major risk factor for the condition which affects more than four million people in Britain.
In Japan – where many homes are fitted with hot tubs and baths are more common – 1,300 Type 2 patients were tracked for a study into its impact.
It found the more often patients took a hot bath the more likely they were to have better glycated haemoglobin blood sugar control.
Bathing more often was also linked to smaller waist circumference and body mass index. The average number of hot baths taken was four every week, with the most benefit seen in those who took more than this.
Lead author Dr Hisayuki Katsuyama, of Kohnodai Hospital, said: “Our results indicate that daily heat exposure through hot- tub bathing has beneficial influences on cardiovascular risk factors in patients with Type 2 diabetes.”
Diabetes is estimated to cost taxpayers £ 14billion a year and has been dubbed the “biggest health crisis of our time”. It can lead to serious health problems including blindness, kidney failure, nerve damage and even limb amputations.
The findings were released at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.
Previous studies have suggested that heat therapy such as the use of saunas improved blood sugar control and body fat percentage.
The latest findings add to evidence they could be used as a therapeutic tool in the daily life of Type 2 patients.
Traditional
On average patients stayed in a hot bath for around 15 minutes.
Dr Katsuyama added: “Until now there were no studies using a lot of patients which examined the effects of hot- tub bathing on metabolic parameters in patients with Type 2 diabetes in the realworld setting.
“In Japan most residences are fitted with a hot- tub and hot- tub bathing is a traditional and common life habit.”