Feeling the chill outside? If you’re tempted to turn your thermostat to high, you may want to rethink it–especially if you’re trying to lose weight.
In the scientific journal Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism on Wednesday, researcher Wouter van Marken Lichtenbelt published new research suggesting that exposing yourself regularly to cold–but not freezing–temperatures helps people burn more calories compared to those who preferred to stay toasty warm.
In essence, it’s a metabolism booster.
“Since most of us are exposed to indoor conditions 90% of the time, it is worth exploring health aspects of ambient temperatures,” says Lichtenbelt. “What would it mean if we let our bodies work again to control body temperature? We hypothesise [sic] that the thermal environment affects human health and more specifically that frequent mild cold exposure can significantly affect our energy expenditure over sustained time periods.”
In 2009, Lichtenbelt made the discovery that brown fat–something commonly found in infants–may actually play a role in something called nonshivering thermogenesis. Nonshivering thermogenesis is essentially the heat your body creates when you feel cool, but not enough to cause shivering. Previous studies showed brown fat takes calories from other types of fat, leading researchers to believe it could help people burn off more fat.
Now in his latest study, Lichtenbelt sought out to see if this hypothesis held true in human subjects–an area not explored before.
Surprisingly, it worked.
“More frequent cold exposure alone is not going to save the world from obesity,” says Lichtenbelt. “But is a serious factor to consider for creating a sustainable environment along with a healthy lifestyle.”
Recruiting a group of otherwise healthy adults, Lichtenbelt exposed them to 59 degree temperatures for several hours a day–a cool, but not freezing, temperature. After 10 days had elapsed, Lichtenbelt then looked at their rate of nonshivering thermogenesis and levels of brown adipose tissue.
As a result, he found that all subjects’ showed an increase in both factors–suggesting that being exposed to cool temperatures could help people burn more calories.
As a conclusion, all of the study’s researchers believe this calls for further research into the effects of temperature on a person’s body weight.
“Indoor temperature in most buildings is regulated to minimise [sic] the percentage of people dissatisfied,” write the study authors. “This results in relatively high indoor temperatures in wintertime. This is evident in offices, in dwellings and is most pronounced in care centres [sic] and hospitals. By lack of exposure to a varied ambient temperature, whole populations may be prone to develop diseases like obesity. In addition, people become vulnerable to sudden changes in ambient temperature.”
What You Should Do
Having trouble losing weight? If regular exercise and dieting aren’t enough, consider lowering the temperature on your thermostat–even if it is a bit chilly outside. Doing so, according to research, could add a well-needed boost to your metabolism, making it easier to lose weight.
Readers: What are some other methods you use to raise your metabolism?
Sources:
Study: Being Cold Can Raise Your Metabolism – Mirror.co.uk
Lowering the Thermostat Could Slim Down Your Waistline – CNN.com
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