Embracing the Chill with Ice bath: How Cold can Transformed Your Health and Immunity

Ice Tube

Reflecting on my childhood, I never imagined I would one day possess a strong body and a persistent mind. As a child of six or seven, I was incredibly thin, had low cardio capacity, and a minimal percentage of lean mass. My immune system was weak, and I experienced bacterial infections in my tonsils every five to six weeks, necessitating antibiotic treatments. I received so many penicillin injections that I no longer feared them. Despite the numbing sensation in my legs from the injections, I felt no pain. Instead, I was happy to get them because it meant the infection would only last a few more days.

I was not athletic because I was always recuperating from illnesses, constantly battling fatigue, and consistently running on low energy. One day, I learned that my closest friends were planning to join a canoeing club, a new activity in our village.

At that time, there weren't many clubs or sports centers nearby, and virtually no activities were designed for girls—just football for boys.

Wanting to spend more time with my friends, I decided to join them in canoeing. This decision was my parents' worst nightmare as they anticipated even more health issues from my exposure to cold water, wind, and rain.

Despite their fears, joining the canoeing club resolved my health issues, and I never felt sick during the seven years I practiced the sport, until I moved to a distant school at the age of 15.

At 16, I found myself lying in bed recovering from a tonsillectomy. I began to fall ill frequently again after stopping canoeing, with no alternatives to avoid the high doses of antibiotics to which my body was no longer responding effectively.

At the time, I did not reflect on what had happened to me.

However, after coming across documentaries and research publications about ice baths, I began to see my life in a new light. Cold exposure works intensely on our bodies! It's like nature battling against our inner nature, a spark that sets our engines running. Cold exposure impacts our immune system like nothing else.

Recently, I came across some research and documentaries reflecting on the effects of ice baths, or cold water immersion, on the immune system which reveals several potential benefits.

Regular cold exposure is thought to enhance immune response through a process known as "cold shock" response. This response stimulates the production of white blood cells and other immune system components that help fight off infections and diseases.

One study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that routine exposure to cold water increases the number of circulating monocytes and lymphocytes, types of cells that play critical roles in our immune defenses. Another effect of cold exposure is the release of norepinephrine, a hormone and neurotransmitter that is integral to reducing inflammation—a key factor in many chronic diseases and infections.

In essence, ice baths may help fortify the body against illnesses by boosting the immune system's function and lowering inflammation levels. These findings support anecdotal claims and suggest that regular cold exposure, like that experienced through activities such as canoeing in cold environments or taking ice baths, could indeed be beneficial for overall immune health.

Stories abound of children diagnosed with brain tumors who have recovered through breathing exercises and as much cold exposure as possible. People with bipolar disorder have managed their condition using similar methods.

Conversely, we hear more than ever about immune reactions, immune diseases, gluten intolerances, and atopic skin. For a long time, we have avoided contact with nature. We are in our houses protected from the cold, we enter our car in the garage and drive to work, we stay inside buildings for hours and return home, passing by the grocery store where we park in an underground lot and enter the store directly... We barely contact wind, rain, or cold. And when we do, it is fully clad in fancy clothes and accessories from renowned brands...

If we need to change our body's capability to defend against external agents, we must rethink the way we behave. Nothing comes by chance or miracle. We are the result of the behaviors we implement during our routine days.

So, from now on, reflect carefully before you bundle up yourself and your loved ones.

Less is more. And more is more.

Less clothing means more defense.

Less clothing means a stronger immune system and more ability to react to aggressions.

More cold exposure means better health!

More cold exposure means more years to live!

More cold exposure means longevity, intelligence, and slow aging!

Don't fight it and yourself.

Do it!

As one of my dear friends used to say: just take it as medicine!