Professor Jari Laukkanen (and colleagues) from the University of Eastern Finland reported in the journal Neurology that people who take saunas more frequently have a lower risk for developing a stroke.

The study involved more than 1,600 volunteers ages 53 to 74 who were followed for a 15-year period.

The volunteers who took saunas from four to seven times each week were 62 percent less likely to experience a stroke than volunteers who took them just once each week.

Those who took saunas two to three times a week had a 12 percent lower risk for having a stroke.

Because it was observational in nature, the study did not prove a direct cause-effect relationship. However, one explanation is that increased temperatures lower inflammation, so steam baths and hot tubs may offer similar health benefits.