- Recent research on mice suggests that daily exposure to a warm environment, like a sauna, could help older adults, particularly women, combat age-related obesity and insulin resistance.
- This study highlights whole-body heat therapy as a simple, non-invasive approach to promote healthier aging and manage menopause-related weight gain.
- The findings reveal that heat treatments improve insulin sensitivity and reduce fat accumulation, potentially offering a relaxing alternative for those who find physical activity challenging.
New research, presented at NUTRITION 2024 — the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, which took place from June 29 to July 2 in Chicago — highlighted heat treatments as a straightforward method to encourage healthier aging.
The findings of the study in question revealed that older female mice subjected to a daily 30-minute whole-body heat treatment gained less weight and exhibited better insulin utilization, aiding in blood sugar regulation, compared with older female mice who did not undergo daily heat treatment.
The researchers also explored the biological mechanisms behind these positive effects.
Women are more likely than men to have obesity or overweight, especially after menopause, due to the loss of estrogen in their bodies.
This study suggests that whole-body heat therapy could be an effective and noninvasive method for managing both age-related and menopause-related weight gain and insulin resistance.
In the study, researchers used 10-month-old mice to model aging and mice with their ovaries removed to simulate postmenopausal conditions. To induce weight gain, the mice were fed a Western diet containing 45% of calories from fat.
One group of mice underwent daily 30-minute heat therapy sessions in a heat chamber set to 40℃ (104°F) for 12 weeks, while the other group did not receive any heat treatment.
The aging mice that received heat treatment showed no tissue damage and had significantly lower levels of lactate…
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