Health experts have endorsed the use of steam baths derived from naturally occurring alkaline water as a powerful means to detoxify the body and enhance overall wellness. Alongside its rejuvenating effects, they also emphasize the significant health advantages of drinking natural alkaline water, including lowering blood pressure and stabilizing blood sugar levels.
Understanding Natural Alkaline Water
Natural alkaline water, according to medical specialists, typically maintains a pH level between 7.4 and 8.0 and contains naturally occurring minerals, particularly calcium carbonate, in concentrations of at least 100 milligrams per liter. This mineral content distinguishes it from artificially alkaline water and is central to its therapeutic properties.
Experts assert that this mineral-rich water plays a key role in maintaining the body’s optimal pH, supporting immunity, and helping to prevent chronic diseases. While infants naturally have a physiological pH around 7.7, this level gradually settles to approximately 7.4 in adulthood. Maintaining this alkaline balance, they say, is essential for healthy organ function and immune defense.
Steam Baths and Cardiovascular Health
In recent years, scientific studies have further confirmed the cardiovascular benefits of regular steam baths. A 2021 research publication titled “Effect of the steam bath on resting cardiovascular parameters in healthy volunteers“, published in the Journal of Advances in Integrative Medicine, explored the impact of steam baths on heart health. The study observed that participants who engaged in 10 to 15-minute weekly steam sessions for a period of 12 weeks experienced significant drops in heart rate and both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
This finding supports traditional wellness practices, aligning with centuries-old beliefs that steam therapy aids detoxification, circulation, and relaxation. However, the added dimension of using natural alkaline water further amplifies these benefits by introducing essential minerals directly into the body during therapy.
A Nigerian Innovation: Lasena Natural Steam Bath and Spa
In Nigeria, one company has embraced this science and turned it into an accessible wellness experience. OGC Foods and Beverages, the makers of Lasena Water, have launched the Lasena Artesian Natural Steam Bath and Spa, which harnesses mineral-rich water from an aquifer discovered in 2009.
This water, heated naturally to 70 degrees Celsius underground, is piped directly into steam chambers without any artificial treatment or additives. This setup ensures that users receive the full spectrum of minerals such as calcium, silica, bicarbonates, zinc, potassium, sulphates, and nitrates during their steam therapy.
How the Therapy Works
Dr. Genevieve Kalu, Head of Medicals at OGC Foods and Beverages, explained the process. As the body is exposed to the steam, pores on the skin open up, allowing absorption of beneficial minerals through blood vessels just beneath the skin’s surface.
“The warmth from the steam facilitates vasodilation, which is the widening of blood vessels,” she said. “This not only reduces blood pressure but also decreases the levels of stress-related hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Within five to ten minutes, detoxification begins, endorphins are released, and users report feeling relaxed, happier, and more energized.”
She noted that the steam’s benefits extend beyond detoxification and stress relief. Inhaling the mineral steam can help open the airways, support respiratory health, and reduce muscular tension, while mineral absorption helps in muscle recovery and overall physical relaxation.
Benefits for Chronic Health Conditions
According to the Steam Bath Coordinator at Lasena Spa, Gbemisola Falade, the naturally hot spring water contains 13 health-promoting minerals and is completely free from chlorine, preservatives, or synthetic additives.
“This water comes straight from the ground at 70 degrees Celsius,” she said. “The steam bath delivers all these minerals directly into the body much faster than when consumed orally. It’s especially effective for people managing hypertension and diabetes due to its stabilizing effect on blood pressure and blood sugar levels.”
Falade further explained that users with chronic conditions such as arthritis, stroke, and partial paralysis have also reported improvements after regular steam therapy sessions. Many of them regained mobility, better coordination, and enhanced speech capabilities as part of their recovery journeys.
Therapeutic Use and Direct Consumption
Apart from steam therapy, drinking the alkaline water provides an internal route to wellness. Falade explained that by consuming the mineral-rich water, individuals supply their bodies with essential nutrients that promote heart health, boost immunity, and help regulate metabolic functions.
“The same minerals that nourish the body through steam are present when you drink the water. It’s about holistic healing,” she said. “Natural alkaline water works both internally and externally to restore the body’s balance.”
Dr. Kalu emphasized that natural alkaline water plays a critical role in preventing degenerative illnesses by maintaining a stable internal pH. She reiterated that the body’s ideal pH range, especially in vital organs, remains slightly alkaline. When sustained through regular intake of natural alkaline water, the immune system remains more robust, energy levels improve, and the body becomes more resistant to stress and inflammation.
A Return to Nature
The team behind Lasena believes that this innovation reconnects people with the earth’s healing elements. Unlike artificially treated spa systems, Lasena’s approach relies entirely on the raw, untampered benefits of its geothermal aquifer. This model promotes a natural lifestyle centered on wellness and prevention, offering people in Nigeria and beyond a new path to holistic health.
With the rise in non-communicable diseases like hypertension, diabetes, and chronic stress-related conditions, more people are turning to natural therapies. As more clinical studies support the efficacy of steam and alkaline therapy, demand is expected to grow for health resorts and products that offer science-backed natural remedies.
Looking Ahead
Steam baths and mineral water therapies, once considered luxury wellness treatments, are increasingly viewed as mainstream health interventions. Experts like Dr. Kalu and Falade advocate for broader public awareness campaigns to educate Nigerians on these accessible, non-invasive therapies. They argue that making natural steam therapy part of regular wellness routines could reduce the nation’s burden of lifestyle diseases and improve quality of life for many.
Ultimately, the Lasena initiative reflects a wider movement toward preventative health and holistic care—bringing ancient wisdom, modern science, and local resources together to deliver powerful health benefits to the population.
