Keeping it Natural: Sweat is Good

Your body is already a “clean” machine.

You’d think your sweat was a bad thing. What’s up with all those ads for products that promise a powder-puff future of sweat-free living? Walk into any drugstore, and you see antiperspirants lined up like soldiers ready to go to battle to save us from our own moisture. Personally, I like working up a little perspiration – it’s the sign of a hard day’s work or a great workout.

The fact is sweat is totally natural and surprisingly useful. It’s the way our body not only cools itself but actually gets rid of the bad stuff that really needs to go. Don’t just take our word for it. Check out these sweaty cool benefits according to Medical Daily:

• Feel the endorphin rush. You exercise; you sweat; you feel good. There’s a reason. Sweat helps release those great endorphins that give you a natural high. Who doesn’t need that?
• Get rid of the gross stuff. No need to sign on to the latest juice fast craze. Sweating opens up your pores like so many exits and takes unwelcome stuff like alcohol, cholesterol, and excess salt with it. Your body (and skin) will thank you.
• Say “no” to kidney stones. Kidney stones are no joke. Sweating reduces the amount of salt and calcium in your urine and kidneys that make up those unwelcome interlopers. Plus, people who sweat more drink more water and fluids, another great way to keep excruciatingly painful kidney stones at bay.
• Defend against germ invaders. Yep. Sweat can be serious protection against lots of potentially harmful viruses, bacteria, and fungi by breaking them down before they can get into our bodies. If you’re into scientific studies, check out this one published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that talks about how our naturally excreted antibiotic substance, dermcidin, is a rock star and potentially more effective in the long term than traditional antibiotics in taking out dangerous bugs.
• Banish blemishes. Your sweat not only opens up your pores, it helps get rid of any buildup inside them before you’re gifted with unwelcome pimples, bumps, or zits – the quickest way to ruin a weekend.

When you think about it, sweat really is pretty sweet. And, speaking of sweet, sweat itself doesn’t really smell. Any offensive odor is actually created when certain glands concentrated in specific areas (such as your armpits) produce protein-rich sweat which surface bacteria break down, releasing those not-so-good smells. Now, while your sweat serves some great purposes, your body odor -- not so much. That’s why a good, natural deodorant is great for taking care of the smell without interfering with all the great work your hard-working sweat needs to do.

 

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