It is a common assumption that cold is good for the immune system. What is behind the Kneipp method and how effective are cold stimuli really?
One’s own health is an issue that often only plays a secondary role for many people. Most of the time, work or the kids or any event are more important than listening to the limits of your own body. No wonder, then, that the immune system and organism go on strike in many people at some point.
So that it doesn’t get that far, you can take measures beforehand to make the body more resistant to diseases. A popular method that you hear about in a variety of ways is cold. Cold showers, snow bathing, or treading water to toughen up the body are just a few of the many trends spreading across the web. However, even cold is only healthy to a certain extent and one should be careful not to exceed the limit at which it makes the body ill. But how can cold stimuli be used properly for health?
Kneipp therapy: where does the assumption come from that cold is good for you?
Scientists had the idea that regular cold makes the body stronger as early as the 19th century. The best known for this is still Sebastian Anton Kneipp (1821-1987), a pastor, hydrotherapist and naturopath from Upper Swabia, who developed his own treatment method with cold water, which also includes treading water, which is still practiced today.
Kneipp himself was already suffering from a lung disease in his twenties, which he tried to treat with water. He bathed in the cold Danube two to three times a week and also took cold baths and showers at home. According to his own statements, his health condition was cured, after which he developed his Kneipp therapy.
In addition to hydrotherapy with treading water and water jets, this also includes wraps, intensive movement therapy and barefoot walking, phytotherapy with medicinal plants, a healthy diet with a wide range of whole foods and order therapy to align the psyche more consciously with a healthy life. Kneipp therapy was initially controversial at the time and Kneipp was sued by doctors and pharmacists, among others, for damage to business. However, after a cholera outbreak in Munich in 1854, doctors recognized the effect of his treatment, which subsequently became known throughout Europe.
Today, the therapy is offered in health resorts in Germany, represented by the Naturopathic Kneipp Doctors Association. It usually lasts three to four weeks and is used to prevent and treat diseases of the cardiovascular system. It is also used in immunodeficiency, neurological diseases, nervous system disorders and orthopedic conditions. Individual applications, such as treading water, can also be performed separately outside of the spa buildings.
What happens in the body when it’s cold?
When the human organism is exposed to both cold and heat, it reacts to the respective temperature. When it’s hot, the body must cool itself by increasing blood flow to the skin to transport heat from inside the body to the outside. The heart is worked harder and the body begins to sweat to cool itself and keep the core, where the internal organs are located, at the required 37 degrees body temperature.
When it’s cold, on the other hand, the body has to warm itself up to be able to keep the 37 degrees. For this purpose, some bodily functions are reduced so that more energy is available to keep the internal organs warm. For this reason, arms and legs often get cold first in winter, because warmth is needed more in the middle of the body. In addition, the body begins to tremble to generate heat.
The blood vessels in the body constrict, causing blood flow to slow down. However, this increases blood pressure because the heart now has to pump the blood through narrower pathways and thus encounters more resistance. People with heart disease in particular should therefore avoid exerting themselves in the cold as much as possible, as this increases the risk of a heart attack or blockage of blood vessels.
Too much of a good thing: when the cold makes the body sick
Neither heat nor cold are healthy for the body if they act on it in excess. Anyone who is exposed to the cold for too long even risks serious illnesses.
In outdoor sports or the supposedly healthy ice and snow bathing, as is customary in Finland, Sweden or other countries in northern Europe, the inexperienced can quickly do more harm than good. The cold reduces blood circulation, which means that muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints are supplied with less blood and therefore less oxygen – in principle, all parts of the body that are not internal organs and are therefore essential for survival .
If this state of reduced nutrient supply lasts for too long, these parts of the body can be affected and develop a higher risk of injuries and wear and tear, for example.
Don’t miss anything: You can find everything to do with health in the regular newsletter from our partner 24vita.de.
A cold shower can be healthy: but cold-warm stimuli are even better
Nevertheless, it can be beneficial for health and general fitness to regularly expose the body to cold stimuli and thus (slowly!) make it more resistant. You can take a cold shower, for example, but you should start carefully and get your body used to the temperature so as not to get a cold shock. The cold water activates the brown fat cells, which burn calories and boost the body’s heat production. However, this requires regular stimuli and the body slowly getting used to it. Jumping into a cold river just once every few weeks does little for your health and is more likely to catch a cold.
Even more effective is the alternation of warm and cold stimuli, which can be achieved, for example, by contrast showers or a visit to the sauna. Although medicine is still divided as to whether cold stimuli should really protect against flu or other infections, it is at least assumed that they strengthen the immune system. Blood vessels close when it is cold and dilate when it is hot. The changing stimuli train them, which is good for their health. The blood circulation and the thermoregulation of the skin are practically trained by alternating showers.
In a study at the Jena University Hospital, researchers found in 2005 that test persons with chronic bronchitis had 13 percent more lymphocytes, i.e. defense cells, in their blood after ten weeks of alternating showers than before, which promoted the cellular immune system. In addition, the frequency of infections had decreased. A Dutch study confirmed these findings in 2016. Here, too, the subjects felt healthier and fitter after 30 days and reported fewer illnesses.
Conclusion: Regular cold stimuli can be healthy for the body, but should be applied slowly to get the body and immune system used to this new training. Likewise, one should not overdo it with the cold training. In short: cold stimuli are good, freezing is bad.
Fitness without the cold: Alternatives and additions to contrast showers
Although cold stimuli can benefit health, they do not help with every ailment and are also not a miracle cure for physical integrity. There is a lot more to a fit state of health, including exercise and nutrition, as provided for in Kneipp therapy.
Regular exercise activates the immune cells in the body through exercise. These then also get moving and become active where they are needed, for example to fight the first signs of a cold before you even notice it yourself. However, you shouldn’t overexert yourself, because if the physical exertion is too great, the excessive exertion will balance out the immune cells.
Caution: Should you then catch a cold or catch a flu infection, contrast showers and sports must be paused. Give your body a break and the time it needs to recover. Only then should you slowly start exercising again and also with your contrast shower training.
This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication. In no way does it replace a visit to the doctor. Unfortunately, our editors are not allowed to answer individual questions about clinical pictures.
