Effect of banana leaf bath (a type of heliotherapy) on short-term heart rate variability changes in healthy individuals: A pilot study

Abstract

IntroductionBanana leaf bath (BLB) [a type of heliotherapy (sunbath)] is being used in various diseases like skin diseases, obesity and other metabolic disorders in many naturopathy hospitals in India. However, its precise physiology is less understood. Thus, this study was conducted to evaluate the effect of BLB on heart rate variability (HRV) in healthy individuals. Materials and methodsTwenty-eight (12 males, 16 females) healthy individuals with the mean (standard deviation) age of 23.39 (3.70) years were recruited. All the subjects underwent a 30 min session of BLB (lie down in a place with direct sunlight exposure while covering the entire body with banana leaves). Assessments were taken before and after the intervention. ResultsResults of this study showed a significant increase in the mean of the intervals between adjacent QRS complexes or the instantaneous HR (RR Intervals), standard deviation of RR Intervals (SDNN), the square root of the mean of the sum of the squares of differences between adjacent normal-to-normal (NN) intervals (RMSSD), the number of interval differences of successive NN intervals >50 ms (NN50), and the proportion derived by dividing NN50 by the total number of NN intervals (pNN50) and a significant reduction in heart rate (HR), while no significant difference in low frequency (LF), high-frequency (HF) and LF/HF ratio in the study group. ConclusionResults of this study suggest that 30 min of BLB might be effective in reducing HR and in improving HRV towards vagal dominance in healthy individuals.