Daily baths reduced the risk of heart disease and stroke

Taking frequent baths may reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease, new research suggests.

In this research, Japanese researchers studied 30,076 men and women beginning in 1990 and followed them through 2009.

After controlling for many other cardiovascular risk factors, they found that compared with people who took baths less than twice a week, those who took baths three to four times had a 25 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease and a 13 percent lower risk of stroke. Daily bathers had a 35 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease and a 23 percent lower risk of stroke.

The researchers suggest that warm baths lower blood pressure and improve blood vessel function.