Ground Breaking Evidence Suggests That These Small, Yet Mighty, Protein Chaperones May Positively Affect Genetic Coding, Immunity, And Longevity
The nexus point of scientific discovery with ancient tradition gives voice and explanation to what our ancestors have known since before recorded history: Exposing the body to extreme temperatures, both high and low, for specific durations of time, positively affects health, longevity, and overall wellness. Clinical research into the fields of microbiology, coupled with the advent of technological instruments that allow for the witnessing of the candid musings of cellular life, can now explain why humans have turned to heat therapy for millennia.
The discovery of Heat Shock Proteins in the early 1960s explains at the molecular biological level why humans have turned to thermal therapy to purify the body, cleanse the mind, and to find commune with a higher power across time and lands (1).
Regular use of broad-spectrum infrared sauna therapy capitalizes on the radiant heat from these light waves to enhance the production of Heat Shock Proteins, thereby inducing an intracellular community rich in structured proteins and free from harmful free radicals.
The unique qualities of infrared light, when contained in a cabin like structure, magnifies the impact of the physiological response to the intentional increase in atmospheric heat to produce Heat Shock Proteins. From preventing neurological degenerative disease, increasing cardiovascular health, as well as assisting with longer periodic remission of autoimmune disorders, Heat Shock Proteins, though microscopic, can transform the entire physiological expression of individual organisms (2).
Simple lifestyle adjustments that incorporate regular broad-spectrum infrared sauna use, can transform the internal atmosphere of your own physiology to ensure balance, health, and wellness for a higher quantity and quality of life.
What Are Heat Shock Proteins, and What Purpose Do They Serve?
For anyone unfamiliar with molecular biology, the mere expression of Heat Shock Proteins (HSPs), may seem a little ‘out there’ and irrelevant to our day to day contextual life. In reality, however, these ‘molecular chaperones’ (as they have been nicknamed), play an enticing role in maintaining our physical, as well as our emotional health and wellbeing.
Understanding the basic workings of these microscopic protein chaperones will help individuals take appropriate action in their lives to support the excretion of HSPs into the intercellular climate, where they can begin to work their magic!
When thermal stress (higher or lower temperatures than what the given species is normally habituated to) are placed on organisms from fruit flies, tissues, to human beings, something quite extraordinary happens: All of these observed organic structures begin to produce, something medical clinicians and scientists have called, Heat Shock Proteins. When HSPs are created in response to thermal stress in the external environment they produce groundbreaking benefits to the intercellular atmosphere within both small and large organisms.
HSPs are within the family of macromolecular structures, despite their tiny size, their discovery in the early 1960s has opened up wide the doors in the field of genetics, changing forever how the scientific and medical communities view our genetic mapping. HSPs provide an opportunity for each organism to ‘up-regulate’ gene expression. Results in clinical studies of HSPs over the past five decades have been so substantial, that it begs the question:
Is our environment equally important to our genetic make-up as our predetermined genetic coding in relation to our expressed health and wellness?
Peer reviewed Neuroscience Letters journal by Dr. Miles S. Lyon, and Dr. Carol Milligan, would suggest that an organism’s ability to produce HSPs in response to thermal stress initiates the adaptive capability of intercellular communities to find homeostasis within, and ultimately find victory over neurologically degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’, ALS, and Parkinson’s Disease:
“As such, the delivery of exogenous HSPs and the in-creased secretion of HSPs by surrounding cells have suggested a therapeutic approach to treating neurodegenerative disease indicating that the availability of HSP 110 may be a necessary and crucial factor in using the HSPs as intracellular therapeutic modulator for neurodegenerative disease” (3)
A seemingly bold observation, however, these findings are based on sound clinical study. Known vernacularly as ‘molecular chaperones’, HSPs ensure that proteins maintain the integrity of shape, size, and movement within neurological structures.
So, What Exactly IS a Heat Shock Protein?
There are many different classifications of HSPs (all of which are classified by their molecular weight and their specific intracellular functions), there are far too many to name for the purposes of this article, however all of them are referred to as ‘molecular chaperones’, because they serve to re-stabilize, re-organize, and rejuvenate intercellular order. Considering HSPs as chaperones makes sense, because in very lay terms, they serve to escort the subcellular translocation of proteins (4).
HSPs play an essential role in maintaining the efficacy of any system or systems of organisms. An increase in HSPs within human physiology has demonstrated to aid in the prevention of serious neurological conditions, as well as other chronic autoimmune disorders.
With this information in mind the goal, then becomes how can we create more of these small, yet mighty protein escorts?
HSPs are created when organisms are subjected to fluctuations of temperatures extreme enough to move beyond habituated temperature.
While, the term ‘Heat Shock Proteins’ was originally given to these molecular guardians based on the original experiments involving higher external heat in the early 1960s, in fact, cells begin to excrete an increase in this variety of protein escorts while under cold duress as well as heat (1).
All organisms, humans included, benefit from the increased secretion of HSPs in fascinating and elaborate ways.
Health Benefits From Increased Heat Shock Proteins In The Body:
- Reparation of Mis-folded And Damaged Proteins
- Increased Immune Response
- Reduction Of Free Radicals
- Faster Muscle Recovery
- Reduction Of The Biological Expression Of Age
- Contributing Factor In The Prevention Of Neurological Degenerative Disease
A tall order of potential health benefits results from increasing the cadence and volume of HSP production from within the cellular structure into intercellular communities. The health and well being of human physiology depends upon the maintenance of the three-dimensional quality of proteins. When proteins lose the integrity of their shape or linger between cells without direction, the negative health consequences are extreme.
Consider a bus full of thirty young school-age children off on an adventurous field trip on a cold February day. If there is one adult chaperone for the children, some order will be maintained, but ensuring that all the winter coats are zipped up, mittens put on, hats tied and so forth would be difficult. Add three more adults and suddenly many more of the children are specifically cared for and winter garments are secured into position with greater ease and more children protected from the cold. Imagine, then if there was one adult chaperone per child, then all jackets are zipped up, mittens on, and all children protected from the cold! HSPs play a very similar role within human physiology with respect to their function as molecular chaperones: To ensure that proteins and peptides maintain their shape and purpose.
All portions of health and wellness are improved when the quantity of HSP production is increased.
What can we do to increase the quantity and regular secretion of HSPs into our body?
Gratefully, today is the best time in history to make lifestyle choices that support the production of HSPs in the body: Among the most effective tools available today is broad-spectrum infrared sauna therapy.
Tools To Increase Heat Shock Proteins In The Body: The Ancient Tradition Of Thermal Therapy
Our ancestors have been creating and turning to various forms of thermal therapy throughout the ages. While the structures and type of heat used for the purposes of thermal therapy units have varied throughout history, their basic innate purpose has remained the same. From Native American sweat lodges, Turkish Hammans, traditional Finnish saunas, Japanese hot spring baths and to the most recent evolution in heat therapy, the infrared sauna, all provide an opportunity to expose the body to increased external heat for specific periods of time. The regular use of any of the above mentioned models of thermal therapy would enhance the production of HSPs.
With a variety of tools available to intentionally increase external heat and therefore the production of HSPs, why choose broad-spectrum infrared sauna therapy?
Broad-spectrum infrared light saunas provide the same benefits as most traditional models of heat therapy, but because the source of heat is radiant, the cascade of health benefits derived from the cellular response to the light waves is exponential.
Why Is Infrared Sauna Therapy The Number One Choice To Enhance Heat Shock Protein Production?
The very specific effects of the infrared light spectrum on human biology compound the positive effects of increasing the supply of HSPs. Namely, the unique cellular response to the infrared wavelengths enhances the oxygenation of the blood stream and when this is married with increased HSPs biological magic occurs (5).
While there are many tools to enlist in an effort to create a body ripe with HSPs, including plunging into frigid external temperatures, what is so special about broad-spectrum infrared sauna therapy?
Yes, HSPs will increase during any thermal therapy session, but what makes infrared light exposure unique in its purpose is the relationship between these light wavelengths and cellular composition and mechanism of the human body.
Human physiology is made up of over fifty trillion cells; each home to ‘energy plants’ called mitochondria. As the radiant rays of infrared light are absorbed beyond and past the initial epidermis, the mitochondria become more active: The effect of the infrared light waves on these ‘energy plants’ is to create nitric acid that aids in the oxygenation of the blood stream, as well as improved movement of circulation (6).
The coupling of enhanced nitric oxide production from the mitochondria along side the improved secretion of HSPs positively affects the quality of intercellular function to mega proportions. The resounding cascade of health benefits derived from exposure to infrared light waves including the oxygenation of the bloodstream and the production of HSPs provides the experience of health and wellness unparalleled by any other thermal therapy model.
Broad-Spectrum Infrared Sauna Therapy: An Easy To Use And Practical Means To Create More Heat Shock Proteins In The Body
In addition to the very specific microbiological reaction to the infrared light spectrum, this technology is practical and easy to use. Unlike other thermal therapy options, broad-spectrum infrared sauna therapy can easily be done within the comfort of your own home with little to no maintenance.
Distinguished from steam rooms, sweat lodges, traditional Finnish saunas, the infrared sauna is literally a flick of a switch away, a simple appliance within the home space, yet equally able to induce an increase in HSPs in your body. Infrared saunas are both inexpensive to run, easy to clean and maintain.
The complexities of molecular occurrences in the body can be difficult to cognitively imagine, however, understanding the profound impact that molecular chaperones, HSPs have on overall well being, when acted upon may increase the longevity and quality of life for many. The simplicity, safety, and availability of broad-spectrum infrared sauna use, makes this modality of heat therapy the number one option to increase the production of Heat Shock Proteins in the body today!
Sources:
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0741521499703290
- https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2019.00920/full
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304394019305658
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/heat-shock-proteins
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4041942/
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/248399628_An_estimation_of_the_number_of_cells_in_the_human_body
Additional Reading:
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/heat-shock-proteins
- https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/S0304394019305658?token=0F8C528249418354002A825281F298EDD4E77EF2FFEE38A41A72AFA81105BFB693E804D6D11B0F4AD5E63F426B6C0C47
- https://podcastnotes.org/2019/09/16/rhonda-patrick-sauna
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_shock_protein#Upregulation_in_stress
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3418130/
- https://jcs.biologists.org/content/117/13/2641
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5941775/