8 Surprising Health Benefits during the Cold Weather
Brrrr, it’s getting colder and colder each day this winter season. Here are some surprising health benefits that you may not have known were true.
- Cooler temperatures boost your brain
Cold temperatures help you to think clearly. When you set the room at a cooler temperature rather than a warm temperature you perform your tasks better.
- Increases brown fat
Brown fat is the mitochondria-packed fat cells that burn energy and produces heat in your body. People with a lower body mass index tend to have a higher content of brown fat. Study shows, “when men are exposed to cooler temperatures they have an increase in brown fat and a corresponding boost in metabolism.”
- Improves allergies
Good news for those with outdoor allergies, pollen counts are nonexistent in the cold and snowy weather. If you spend time outside in the snow you will not have to worry about any allergies, but inside you are still exposed to things like mold and dust mites.
- Lower inflammation
Did you know, your joints feel less swollen or puffy during the winter season? This is because the cold acts like a natural ice pack to help decrease inflammation.
- Lower risk of diseases and infections
Catching a cold is still likely during cold weather, but you are in the clear for several diseases and viruses that are more prevalent during warmer temperatures. Mosquitos are known to carry a lot of diseases, but during the winter they are hibernating. Your immune system is capable to fight off any infection. Studies show, “the human immune system can be activated when exposed to the cold, and it enhances someone’s ability to fight infections.”
- Helps you sleep better and burn calories
It is known that while you sleep that your body’s core temperature drops faster during the winter than in the summer. If you keep your bedroom temperature between 60 and 67 degrees, you are likely to burn more calories. Burning more calories also happens when you spend time outside in the cold air.
- Rejuvenate skin
Cold temperatures can be good for your skin’s health due to the fact it constrains blood vessels in the skin, which makes the blood vessels less likely to have redness and swelling.
- Betters your heart
When you are doing various activities outside in the cold weather it is actually good for your heart. It makes working out fun and challenging. Also, it allows more oxygenated blood to compensate for the activity, ensure the body maintains a warm temperature to stay balanced, and avoid a drop-in temperature.
Source: https://www.rd.com/health/wellness/surprising-health-benefits-of-cold-weather/