Can Sauna Help Solve the Problem of Low Life Expectancy for Native Americans?
Native Americans are dying decades too soon — and heart disease is leading the charge.
That’s the hard truth.
According to CDC data, Native Americans experience the lowest life expectancies in the United States. In some tribal communities, it’s as low as the mid-60s — more than 10 years below the national average.
And the #1 cause of death?
Cardiovascular disease.
This isn’t just a health issue — it’s a crisis. And for too long, mainstream solutions have ignored the most powerful tools already rooted in Native culture. Tools like sweat.
Could something as simple — and sacred — as a sauna make a real difference?
We’ll leave that conclusion up to you but there are underrated studies done about sauna that might open your eyes like it did ours.
🔬 What a Groundbreaking Study in Finland Revealed
In 2015, a team of researchers at the University of Eastern Finland published a study in JAMA Internal Medicine that turned the medical world’s attention toward an old-world tradition: sauna bathing.
The researchers followed over 2,300 middle-aged men for a period of 20 years, tracking their sauna habits and health outcomes. What they found was extraordinary:
- Men who used a sauna 2–3 times per week had a 24% lower risk of dying from heart disease
- Those who used a sauna 4–7 times per week saw that risk drop by a stunning 58%
- Frequent sauna use was also associated with a 40% reduction in all-cause mortality
- The more frequently they used a sauna — and the longer they stayed in — the better their long-term health outcomes
👉 View the full study on PubMed
Let’s break that down:
A cultural practice that involves sitting in heat for 15–20 minutes a few times a week was linked to major reductions in death from heart attacks, strokes, and all causes combined.
No pills. No surgery. Just consistent sweating.
That’s powerful.
🌿 A Traditional Practice with Modern Science Behind It
For generations, Indigenous communities have understood the healing power of the sweat. Whether it’s a lodge ceremony or a simple cedar sauna, sweat has been a way to cleanse the body, focus the mind, and connect with spirit.
Now, modern research confirms what Native culture has always known:
Sweat heals.
And not just spiritually — but physically. Saunas are known to:
- Improve blood circulation and vascular function
- Lower blood pressure
- Reduce chronic inflammation
- Boost stress resilience
- Support heart and metabolic health
These are exactly the areas where Native Americans are most at risk — and where current healthcare systems often fall short.
🔥 The S.A.V.E. Initiative: Bringing Saunas Back to Where They Belong
That’s why we created the S.A.V.E. Initiative — Sauna Anishinaabe Vitality Enhancement.
This project is all about bringing cedar saunas to tribal elders, starting with the White Earth Nation in Minnesota. The goal is to build and deliver 40 saunas to Native homes and communities, giving elders access to the proven health benefits of sweat — right where they live.
But this isn’t just about wellness. It’s about restoring a way of life.
It’s about extending Native life expectancy one sweat at a time.
We know the solution isn’t one-size-fits-all. But the research, the tradition, and the outcomes all point to this:
Sauna can — and should — be part of the answer.
📣 How You Can Help
Whether you’re Native yourself or someone who cares about Indigenous health and cultural healing, we invite you to join us.
🧡 Support or share the initiative:
https://cedar-sense.com/save-initiative
📚 Explore the study that inspired this movement:
JAMA Internal Medicine – Eastern Finland Sauna Study
💬 Help us spread the word to tribal elders:
The more interest we build, the faster we can reach those who need this most.
It’s time to stop accepting low life expectancy as a given in Native communities.
It’s time to sweat, heal, and thrive — together.
One sweat at a time.
Let us know your thoughts on this matter.
Your opinion means the world to us!