At first, it sounds crazy – can a cold shower really prevent colds and flu? But Dr. Alexa Fleckenstein, author of HEALTH 2 0: TAP INTO THE HEALING POWERS OF WATER TO FIGHT DISEASE, LOOK YOUNGER, AND FEEL YOUR BEST (McGraw-Hill 2007) says that a few seconds of cold water after your hot shower is scientifically proven to make you healthy – even if you’re in the cold water for less than 30 seconds a day.
Here are 6 ways that a short cold shower protects you from colds and flu:
1. A brief cold water shower will decrease your body’s “reaction time” to cold. The cold shower “teaches” the blood vessels in your skin to clamp down faster, so you are losing less warmth in draft or cold exposure. Especially, during the winter months while it’s cold outside, you’ll stay warmer, longer.
2. Gamma interferon and interleukin-4 are two important virus-fighting cytokines (immune system proteins) A new German study has shown that cold water exposure helps these two disease-fighters work better together, resulting in fewer viral colds.
3. A cold shower increases lymphocytes in the blood. Lymphocytes produce antibodies, which help fight germs.
4. A cold shower makes you breathe deeply. (A big gasp when the cold water hits the skin!) A deep breath opens closed or clogged alveoli (small air sacs in the lungs) which are then less prone to bronchitis and pneumonia. And deeper breathing means more oxygen for the whole body.
5. A cold shower increases blood flow in all organs, especially skin, heart and lungs. The pharynx/larynx ( organs of the throat) also benefit from the increased blood flow, and are better able to kill viruses.
6. And a cold shower lifts your mood. Depressed people get more colds – probably because depression lowers immunity. A brisk cold shower has been proven to lift the mood and lower stress, both of which jumpstart the immune response – which kills flu and cold germs!
Remember that cold water therapy works only if done regularly, and also needs a few weeks (about six) to work. Start with just your feet and hands in the cold water, and gradually work your way up to your whole body. It feels great!
IMPORTANT: Check with your doctor first. Contraindication include uncontrolled high blood pressure, and narrowing of the arteries.
26 Comments
December 2, 2007 at 4:38 pm
[...] against insomnia. Done regularly, they promote immune health and disease resistance, similar to cold showers. I take mine because I want to emulate the wonderful feeling I have when I swim in the cold waters [...]
December 29, 2007 at 7:05 pm
[...] Cold Showers May Help With Depression Jump to Comments News from The Discovery Channel: “Treatments for depression range from medicines that can come with scary side effects to electric shock therapy, but a new paper suggests a simple cold shower might sometimes cure, and even prevent, the debilitating mood disorder.” Now I understand why I always feel so uplifted and, well, happy, after my morning cold shower gush. If you want to read more, here is the link to the full article. Cold showers also have other health benefits, as noted here. [...]
December 31, 2007 at 10:06 pm
[...] 1. Every day after your hot shower, turn the water to “cold” for a few seconds. Learn more about cold showers here. [...]
February 15, 2008 at 11:15 pm
[...] less cold, don’t get as sick and burn more white fat – the stuff that hangs over your belt. Health 2.0 concurs. Typically, people living in cold regions have more brown fat than those in warmer areas. [...]
March 20, 2008 at 2:29 pm
I prefer cold baths over cols showers because I can sit in the cold water and sponge over my whole body more effectively. It is also known to be good for asthma because it opens the lung airways. My doctor wants to look up information on cold baths/cold showers to prove how effective it is. I have been using cold water bathing since July 23, 2007. I have not been on medication for my asthma since Jan 22. I have not been in a pharmacy since Dec 31, ‘07. This cold water treatment is very powerful and effective.
March 21, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Dear Leon,
Cold shower or cold bath seems, in this case, more a question of taste.
The easiest way for your physician to get information about cold water and health is in my book because, unfortunately, a lot of the literature is in German.
But here is one article that gives an idea how the cold water might work on asthma, on the molecular level: http://rparticle.web-p.cisti.nrc.ca/rparticle/AbstractTemplateServlet?journal=cjpp&volume=76&year=&issue=&msno=y98-097&calyLang=eng
I would be interested if you also made changes in your diet since last July? Avoiding all dairy because of its mucus-producing and inflammatory properties usually also reduces asthma and hay-fever symptoms.
Did you note other effects of the cold water? Less colds? Better mood? Better sleep?
Water greetings!
Alexa Fleckenstein M.D.
March 22, 2008 at 7:22 pm
[...] melt off the pounds. You can, however, crank up your metabolism with a hot bath, and end it with a cold shower to lose a few calories (so few it is only worth mentioning to counter this cold water weight loss [...]
March 26, 2008 at 8:36 pm
sounds really good, i will try it for the next showers
greetings
Bernhard
http://leetsil.fh-forum.org
March 26, 2008 at 9:06 pm
Let me know how if there are any effects. I’ll bet there will be!
Roanne
March 29, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Now I changed my mind–I like the cold showers better because I can shower my whole body and it still have the same effect as the cold bath and I believe I can get more of the thereputic effect of it than the bath. My allergies are better under control and so is my asthma. I was taking cold showers when I stopped my asthma medication on Jan. 22, 2008. So I should keep on taking cold showers. Yes I do sleep better and my body is less susceptible to colds and flu. I ‘ve had neither of those.
April 14, 2008 at 4:13 pm
Now I get it. The cold baths certainly helps me. So now I prefer cold baths over cold showers. I can clean my whole body and my breathing is better, I sleep better, and I am less sick. Prehaps never get sick. Even though I get this runny nose constantly, probably from the cold air.
April 20, 2008 at 10:06 pm
Well let’s put it this way–I bathe in cold water. I love it. It is good for my health and is very therapeutic. Sometimes I take baths other times I shower. But they both have the same benefits.
July 1, 2008 at 2:36 pm
Can we use this therapy on babies?
July 1, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Rose – I will ask Dr. Alexa Fleckenstein, my cold water expert, to reply to your question
July 1, 2008 at 3:35 pm
Dear Rose,
Yes, you can apply cold water to babies.
When my son was four months old, I started him. I filled his little pink tub with cold water, cradled the naked boy in my hands and very quickly dunked him in. It took a second or so.
He took a deep gasp but never cried. He was so astonished about what had happened and so busy with thinking that he never had time to protest.
Can’t remember when I stopped it – but certainly I would not force a protesting toddler under cold water.
Now that our son is a young man, he follows the family tradition and ends each warm shower with a cold one. He became a healthy outdoors man.
Tell us how your baby likes it!
Alexa Fleckenstein M.D.
July 1, 2008 at 3:50 pm
[...] You can see all comments on this post here: [...]
July 4, 2008 at 8:48 pm
This cold water therapy works. Still not on medication for asthma and still have not ordered any from the pharmacy. Doctors beware! There is a new way of treating asthma, and meds are not it.
July 11, 2008 at 6:45 am
Hi,
it’s me again. As i posted a views months a go, i have tried the Cold Shower “project” and after a few weeks I am realy addicted to have a cold shock, after the shower.
Thanks for the tips.
Greetings from Austria
Bernhard
By the way, i have published a new photoblog for my Homepage wich is available in english and german: http://photoblog.fh-forum.org/?lang=en
July 16, 2008 at 12:32 pm
The cold showers is the best thing I ever taken. Still no flus or colds and I do sleep better. The best medicine of everything out there.
December 3, 2008 at 5:25 am
started to have cold shower last winter, and since I feel very fresh, even if temp is very low, after the shower may body feels like Radioactive fuel source.
(Riyadh/KSA)
December 26, 2008 at 7:43 pm
The cold baths is a matter of taste. The practice of running water in your bathtub, irrigating my nasal passages, and getting ready for my day is the best routine for me. Still the benefits of cold showers are the same as the cold baths–less colds better sleep, more energy, stronger immune system, stronger lymphatic system, and healthier skin.
January 5, 2009 at 2:00 pm
I love the cold shower! I take two a day, but I make them quick. About five minutes is all I care for. It’s amazing how quickly you can adapt to the cold. I walk around in a short-sleeved t-shirt in below-freezing temperatures now. It’s true that it elevates your mood. I always feel compelled to sing in a cold shower! My latest blog post covers this topic as well:
http://simplelivinghealthyeating.wordpress.com/2009/01/02/the-power-of-the-cold-shower/
January 5, 2009 at 9:16 pm
I have a question. Since I have no preference, should I take my full shower in the cold water, or just end it in a cold shower?
January 6, 2009 at 7:18 pm
Dylan,
In European Natural Medicine we recommend that the cold exposure is only a few seconds (around 20 to 30) – unless you are overweight. People with a bit of padding can endure longer periods in the cold water (that is why the photos of winter swimmers usually show only chubby guys; the slim ones opted out…).
It also depends on where you live. If you live in Florida or Hawaii or such, stay in the cold as long as you want. You actually will have a harder time harvesting the benefits from your cold shower. We here in Boston are blessed, of course!
Alexa Fleckenstein M.D.
June 7, 2009 at 2:20 pm
For over ten years I have had cold showers in the morning and can attest to being more flu resistant than anyone in my office. While every other worker gets hit, the most I suffer is a sore throat.
I also do a few stretching exercises with the cold water blasting on me. I hold onto the top of the shower screen and stretch my spine. This releases stress at the beginning of the day. Which helps because I have a stressful job.
I had a blood test and my white cell count was three times higher than average.
When I tell others my theory I am met with derision. Glad I found this website, which confirms the long term benefits of an invigorating cold shower.
Gerald, 43, Sydney Australia.
June 10, 2009 at 3:15 am
Gerald Mackenzie,
That sounds so good! I like how you combine cold shower with exercise. I always try to fit some movement into my daily chores because I am bored stiff by gyms.
Your high white blood cell count – that I really don’t understand. It depends very much on WHICH part of the white blood cells are high. If it is the overall count – it really should be lower in a healthy person. Can you check?
All the best wishes to downunder!
Alexa Fleckenstein M.D.