Taking a bath is relaxing — that's a fact. But did you know that it's also good for your health? In a study published in the journal Heart, researchers have found that regular tub bathing has links to lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
"We found that frequent tub bathing was significantly associated with a lower risk of hypertension, suggesting that a beneficial effect of tub bathing on risk of [cardiovascular disease] may in part be due to a reduced risk of developing hypertension," said the researchers.
According to the study, the more frequent you take a bath, the better it is for cardiovascular health. That is, a daily hot bath is more "protective" than once or twice a week. The researchers, however, also found that a hot bath is not without risk. If the temperature, for instance, is too high it could lead to overheating.
"There can be no doubt about the potential dangers of bathing in hot water, and the occurrence of death from this increases with age, as well as with the temperature of the water," he writes.
How hot is too hot? Well, researchers are still figuring that bit out. Other sources state that 44 degrees Celsius is the most optimal temperature. A good test is to make sure the bath is just slightly warmer than your body.
