Some people swear by cold showers. But is it really healthier?
Speaking of showering: how often should you actually shower? That’s a lot less often than you probably think.
Cold showers better for your health: yes or no?
Quest investigated whether cold showers are really healthier. The scientific journal cites a pilot study from 2014 for this. Medical researcher Geert Buijze from the AMC then decided to test whether cold showers are indeed good for your health.
3018 subjects between the ages of 18 and 65 participated in the study, all of whom were not used to cold showers. They were divided into four groups. The first group had to take a cold shower for thirty seconds every day, the second group for sixty seconds and the third group for ninety seconds. The fourth group did not shower cold at all. Eighty percent of participants completed the challenge.
The study came to a surprising conclusion: people who took cold showers reported illness 29 percent less often than those who took a hot shower.
Comments on the research
Sounds favorable, right? But according to the magazine, there are some criticisms of the research. The participants self-registered, were relatively healthy and knew the purpose of the study. There may therefore also have been a placebo effect. In short: more research is needed. And that is difficult, because the health effects of cold water appear to be difficult to measure objectively.
In any case, taking a cold shower does have a short-term mental effect. The biological effects of cold on your body are measurable. You activate the sympathetic nervous system, stress hormones are released and you produce happiness hormones. It is therefore not harmful to most people, unless you are a heart patient, for example. But does it have a lasting health effect? That remains a guess for now.
Anouk makes herself heard after a lot of criticism for the use of the n-word against Ronnie Flex
Orgasm gap between men and women is increasing
Spotted an error? Mail us. We are grateful to you.
