-   Sulphur hot springs: The Fountain of Youth -

Bathing in hot springs is proba­bly the most natural and most antique way to do your body good. The famous idea of a “fountain of youth”, whose water bestows healing, rejuve­na­tion, and even eternal youth, is no coinci­dence. Because at a time when modern medicine did not yet exist, warm sulphur baths were the healing method par excellence.

Why are hot springs beneficial?

First, the warmth of the water causes the blood vessels to dilate and the heart­beat to increase. As a result, the amount of blood flowing through the vessels increa­ses and the muscles throug­hout the body relax. Second, the metabo­lism is boosted leading to an impro­ved purifi­ca­tion. The level of blood circu­la­tion in the skin rises, so that the connec­tive tissue becomes more elastic. There­fore, more oxygen and minerals can be absor­bed from the outside.

How does the sulphur get into the spa water?

In deep layers of the earth, water is heated by the earth’s core. On its way to the surface, it dissol­ves the sulphur from the minerals in the earth’s crust. That’s why the hot springs in Tuscany with its high sulphur content is parti­cu­larly valuable.

Do we depend on sulphur supply from outside?

Absolut­ely yes. Sulphur is an essen­tial element. It ranks seventh among the building materi­als of our body and must be supplied from the outside. Although the sulphur content in the body is only 0.25%, it is 40 times higher than, for example, the much-noticed iron. Above all, however, sulphur is an important compo­nent of many amino acids that make up our prote­ins. Thus, it gives struc­ture to the cells. It also acts as a molecu­lar “lorry” that trans­ports substances. In addition, sulphur cataly­ses chemi­cal reactions and recog­ni­ses cellu­lar messen­gers. When bathing in hot springs, the sulphur passes through the skin into the blood in the form of hydro­gen sulphide. This is how it finally reaches the places where it is needed.

How does sulphur help our body?

Throug­hout the muscu­los­ke­le­tal system, sulphur inhibits joint inflamm­a­tion and helps rebuild joint carti­lage. Sulphur baths are there­fore parti­cu­larly popular with people with degene­ra­tive joint and spinal disea­ses. It combats disc problems, rheuma­tic disea­ses, arthri­tis, and muscle pain. At the same time, sulphur promo­tes healthy, elastic skin and tightens the connec­tive tissue. There­fore, it is not only of medical benefit, but has also the well-known aesthe­tic anti-aging effect. In addition, sulphur plays a key role in the defence against bacte­ria and viruses. This works via the trace element selenium. In order to work properly, selenium in turn depends on sulphur, because it needs a sulphur-contai­ning amino acid for its trans­port. There­fore, a sulphur bath is also helpful to the defen­sive function of our immune system. Last but not least, sulphur binds toxins that have accumu­la­ted in the body, such as nicotine and alcohol, and ensures that they are elimi­na­ted. It works against free radicals and reduces harmful chole­ste­rol in the blood.