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Sauna Sessions Increase White Blood Cells, Strengthening Immune Defense
A new study from the University of Eastern Finland shows that sauna bathing can temporarily boost white blood cell levels in the bloodstream. White blood cells are essential for protecting the body against infections and diseases.
Participants who spent 30 minutes in a sauna—with a short cold shower midway—experienced increases in all types of circulating white blood cells. Key immune cells, such as neutrophils and lymphocytes, returned to baseline within 30 minutes after the session.
This suggests that sauna bathing mobilizes additional white blood cells from tissues into the bloodstream, allowing them to patrol the body more effectively before returning to storage. Similar immune cell mobilization also occurs during physical exercise and helps enhance overall immune surveillance.
The study also measured cytokine levels, which mediate immune responses. While overall cytokine levels were largely unchanged, some variations were linked to how much the participants’ body temperatures rose during the sauna session. No such link was observed between white blood cell counts and body temperature changes.
Although sauna bathing has been associated with multiple health benefits, this study only assessed the immediate effects of a single sauna session. Longer-term impacts on health remain to be investigated.
The study included 51 adults with an average age of 50 and was published in the journal Temperature, which focuses on the physiology of body temperature regulation.
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