Numerous battles continue to be fought in war zones around the world today, and one that demands more attention is the life-threatening assault deadly toxins are waging against the human race. It is a very quiet conflict, but one with a rising casualties count.

Some of the human body’s more famous and familiar foes are the heavy metals aluminium, lead and mercury, but, presented in its entirety, the complete “enemies list” of toxins that are silently sickening the human population would be truly terrifying. However, many experts agree that the one element that would surely be near the top of the list and therefore warrants aggressive retaliation is cadmium.

Cadmium contaminates what we eat (food), drink (water) and breathe (air). Like so many other heavy metals, cadmium is a pollutant that cannot be avoided by anyone hoping to enjoy a normal existence on Earth.

The bad news doesn’t end there. In her book Detoxify or Die, Dr. Sherry A. Rogers writes, “As a carcinogen, cadmium can trigger, for example, cancer of the lung, prostate, testicles and more. And once you have any cancer, cadmium acts like a fertilizer for cancers, making them grow more rapidly and spread or metastasize.”

Cadmium toxicity has also been linked to angina, arthritis, depression, high blood pressure, hypertension, migraines and osteoporosis, as well as other medical conditions and disorders.

Another toxin in the catalog of potentially catastrophic health hazards is toluene. A chemical found in cleansers, cosmetics, inks, glues, paints, nail polish, shoe polish and many other common household items, toluene has been linked to heart attack, liver damage, depression, cancer and more. According to Rogers, toluene has an addictive potential equal to those of alcohol and opiates. “So instead of finding it disagreeable,” writes the author, “people actually seek it out.”

Once toluene, cadmium, mercury and the many other toxins to which we constantly expose ourselves infiltrate our bodies, our health is unquestionably at high risk. Fortunately, there are ways we can help our systems fight back against these pollutants. One such way is by using a sauna.

Sauna heat elevates our skin’s temperature and, through perspiration, the toxins that are dissolved in our sweat and body oil are flushed to the surface of our skin where they can be washed off with ease. In other words, sweating helps detoxify the body, and one of the best devices to use to induce an intense sweat is a sauna.

A comprehensive detoxification or detox program can include additional elements like dietary changes, supplements and even enemas, but the value of sauna therapy as part of the detox regimen should not be underestimated.

As for the specific type of sauna, Rogers is among a group of experts who favor the far infrared sauna over the traditional Finnish variety. The author attributes her preference to the lower, more endurable temperatures and deeper, more direct heat penetration offered by the far infrared sauna.

Today, high-quality home saunas, both Finnish and far infrared, can be found at affordable prices. However, if the cost of buying a sauna concerns you, consider the words of Dr. Rogers: “When you realize the lifelong incapacity and expense of diseases such as chronic pain syndromes, heart disease, chemical sensitivity, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, migraines, Alzheimer’s, cancer or any others caused by chemical toxicity, a sauna is cheap.”