Why is Sauna or heat therapy good for you?

Thanks to our Finnish friends to the north, doctors have been able to collect great data on the effects of regular sauna use in adults. In Finland there are over 2.2 million saunas in a land with less than 6 million people total.  Because regular Sauna use is part of their culture, scientists were able to find that going into a sauna at least 5 times a week for a minimum of 12 minutes provided significant improvement in cardiovascular function and overall improvement to health and mood.  Although the exact mechanisms are not fully understood it is believed that the body releases spiked amounts of Human Growth Hormones from the bone marrow in your femur along with releasing heat shock proteins that allow the body to remove damaged cells.  These factors have shown a reduced  risk of certain kinds of cancers, improved sleep, and seems to also have a  hand in the slowing of the aging process.