Is it true that a warm bath can prevent diabetes?

Hot baths have many health benefits. That’s what makes many people use it as a way to prevent diabetes. Is this claim true? Check out the full explanation below

Can a Warm Bath Lower Blood Sugar?

A warm bath does provide many health benefits, including improving blood circulation and relaxing tense, stiff and sore muscles. Not only that, warm baths are also believed to prevent diabetes.

A study published in the journal temperature found that, warm baths can mimic the effects of exercise in lowering blood sugar; this is related to the way heat alters insulin absorption.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), extreme heat can cause blood vessels to dilate; which then makes insulin absorb more quickly, so that blood sugar will decrease.

Meanwhile, another study revealed that soaking in a warm bath for one hour can lower blood sugar levels and limit inflammation in men, especially those who are sedentary and overweight.

There are even studies that claim that soaking in warm water can reduce 126 calories. This amount is equal to 80 percent of the number of calories burned while walking for 30 minutes.

A similar claim was also expressed by a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the study revealed that a warm bath can help lower blood sugar levels as well as prevent diabetes. In fact, if someone soaks for just half an hour, blood sugar levels can be reduced by up to 13 percent.

Also Read: Impact of Hot Weather on Blood Sugar Levels, Diabetics Must Know

However, between exercise and a hot bath are not comparable, there is a big difference in how the internal temperature increases. With exercise, muscle movement increases the body’s internal temperature from the inside out, whereas with a warm bath or sauna, the internal temperature increases from the outside in.

In that study, hot baths can be a beneficial way to recover and relax, which of course can also benefit people with diabetes. Even so, this method should not replace exercise as a way to lower blood sugar.

As is known, high blood sugar levels can damage various systems and organs in the body. For example, the nervous system can be damaged by this condition.

In addition, organs such as the kidneys, heart and blood vessels are also susceptible to damage if blood sugar levels are left in high conditions.

For this reason, diabetics are not only prone to having wounds that don’t heal, but are at risk of complications such as stroke, heart disease, and kidney failure.

Also Read: Can Diabetes Be Cured? Here’s the Explanation

The Benefits of Hot Baths for Diabetics

Some researchers have concluded that soaking in a warm bath every day may have a beneficial effect on cardiovascular risk factors for people with type 2 diabetes.

Although the effect of a warm bath on blood glucose control may not be obvious, it can have a noticeable effect.

These properties have the potential to provide additional benefits such as lowering blood pressure and weight, so that the risk of diabetes complications can be reduced.

In the end, a warm bath can be an alternative treatment for preventing or controlling diabetes. However, you should consult with your doctor if you want to make this activity part of your diabetes treatment.

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