Health Myth of the Day: Saunas Cleanse Your Body of Toxins

By Charmaine Gooden

The main role of sweating is to cool your body–not cleanse the body. Water, electrolytes, and some other chemicals are released through your sweat, but detoxifying is not the main role of sweating. Your liver specializes in breaking down  many of the chemicals that your body cannot use or that would be considered toxins. Your kidneys also do a lot of work to get rid of toxic substances like urea. Your entire digestive system, including your colon, is designed to get rid of what your body cannot use and to keep what it needs. Your body does not rely on sweating to keep it healthy, and neither should you.