Sweating may give you a hot and sticky feeling. However, there are many valuable aspects that sweating has on the body. If you avoid exercising because you hate to sweat, you are missing out on valuable things for your body. Some things are worth sweating for! Keep reading to find out the health benefits of sweating.
What Is Sweat?
The release of a salty liquid from the body's sweat glands is known as sweat. Another term for sweat is perspiration. Sweat can be found in various places in the body, as some of the most common places are the palm of the hands, armpits, and feet. The amount in which you sweat depends on how many sweat glands you have. A person is born with between 2-4 million sweat glands. These glands do not fully become active until they reach puberty. A man's sweat glands tend to be more aggressive than female ones, even though women actually have more glands than men. Sweating is out of a persons control, as the autonomic nervous system simulates the sweat response. Conditions that may make you sweat more than normal may include the weather, exercising, and different situations that may make you nervous, angry, embarrassed, or afraid. The body may also use sweating as a way to regulate its own temperature.
Detoxify The Body
Sweating is a great way to detoxify the body. It can flush out the body of toxic substances such as alcohol, cholesterol, and salt. It will de-bloat you, clean out clogged arteries, and eliminate phthalates. Phthalate is an element that is found in plastic toys, makeup, nail polish, cooking utensils, and cosmetics. Sweating can release this chemical and help to rid the body of heavy metals. Mercury, lead, and cadmium are other toxic carcinogens for the body. These heavy metals are found in both sweat and urine. However, the amount released is much higher in sweat as opposed to urine. Sweat can also eliminate BPA and PCB. Bisphenol A (BPA) is an industrial chemical used in the manufacture of resins and plastics. It is said that BPA has some negative effects on the brain and behavior as well as increasing a person's blood pressure. PCB is polychlorinated biphenyls, which are organic chemicals. Sweat releases many of these harmful toxins from the body to relieve their harmful effects.
Fight Germs & Heals
Sweat glands excrete a natural antibiotic called dermcidin. Excess skin washing can remove this natural barrier from the skin. After a tough workout, most people want to enjoy a long and hot shower. However, this may not be the best thing for your skin. Washing away the dermcidin can be harmful. Dermcidin can limit what thrives on the skin and reduce infection. Being sweaty all the time is not necessarily the answer either. You need to be aware of how hard you are scrubbing and washing your skin. Sweat may also play a vital role in the healing process with scrapes, burns, and ulcers. Studies have shown that sweat glands store an abundance of stem cells that can react too quickly to harm done to the body.
Promotes Happiness
Sweat increases endorphins, and we all know that endorphins make you happy! These are feel-good hormones that contribute to a high during exercise. Endorphins also contribute to a positive mood and overall sense of well-being. This is not directly related to sweating, but a good sweat can increase this effect. Endorphins only come from sweating during exercise, so if you plan on visiting a sweat lodge, you will not get this same effect.
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-Franki
