Sweating the details: Sauna's potential health benefits draw scientists' interest

A group of international researchers is pushing to rigorously study the potential health benefits of sauna and other heat therapies. They hope to bring scientific legitimacy to the age-old practices.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/6300x4200+0+0/resize/6300x4200!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fc9%2F3c%2F2e0513c846a39e7557ea290be8aa%2Fthe-well18.jpg' alt='Sauna scientists Dr. Hans Hägglund (from left), Earric Lee and Ashley Mason take a steam in the Japanese sauna at The Well in Oslo, Norway. They are part of a group of international researchers studying the potential health benefits of sauna and other heat therapies.'/><p>A group of international researchers is pushing to rigorously study the potential health benefits of sauna and other heat therapies. They hope to bring scientific legitimacy to the age-old practices.</p><p>(Image credit: Siv Dolmen for NPR)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5996655' />