Great news for all the bath lovers out there! According to new research, taking a hot bath at least four times per week can actually help lower your blood pressure and other risk factors associated with type 2 diabetes.
The research, recently presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), analysed more than 1,200 adults with type 2 diabetes to see if taking hot baths regularly had any effect on their metabolic health, as reported by mindbodygreen (mbg).
The participants were split into three groups, with the first group bathing four or more times per week. The second group took a bath one to four times per week, while the third group took less than one bath per week. During this time, researchers also collected data including blood tests and body measurements from all participants.
Those in the first group (who took a hot bath at least four times a week) showed a decrease in body weight as well as diastolic blood pressure, and glycated hemoglobin — a type of blood sugar control. According to mbg, on the whole, these factors can help lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Participants in this first group spent at least 16 minutes in the bath four times a week and these results were seen across the board in the first group, regardless of age, weight and sex.
While taking a hot bath isn’t a treatment for type 2 diabetes, this research is promising as it shows that bathing could be an easy way to manage symptoms. Plus, it’s relaxing, cheap and a great way to unwind at the end of the day.
It’s also interesting to see research around bathing in hot water as there has been much talk in the wellness world about the benefits of freezing cold water, known as the Wim Hof Method, which is said to help with pain, inflammation and skin conditions.
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