Popular wisdom tells us to control passion by hopping in a freezing cold shower — but research shows that icy water cures more than raging hormones. A new study by Researcher Nikolai Shevchuk of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine found that cold showers can alleviate, and even prevent, depression. The recipe to get the psychological lift includes taking a cold shower — around 68 degrees — for 2 to 3 minutes once or twice daily, preceded by a five-minute gradual adaptation to the temperature. Shevchuk theorizes that short, cold showers may stimulate the locus ceruleus, or “blue spot,” which is the brain’s primary source of noradrenaline — a biochemical that could help mediate depression. As in homeopathy, the body is stressed by a hostile factor–in this case, icy water–that stimulates a healing response.
Sure beats a lobotomy to get over the blues, or popping Prozac, or 17 years on Dr. Freud’s couch. No mess, no fuss, no side effects. Of course, the cold water treatment is nothing new, and its applications extend far beyond Dr. Shevchuk’s findings. Naturopaths around the world have been healing with water treatments since ancient Egypt. Here’s another case where the medical establishment just now “discovers” an ancient healing method well known in the alternative arena, comes up with fancy language to explain why the method works, and acts like its big news.
One of the coolest (no pun intended) hydrotherapy applications involves alternating between hot and cold water in seven or so repetitions. The cold water drives the blood flow to the internal organs, and then the near-scalding water draws the blood flow back out to the skin, resulting in greatly enhanced circulation and intensified detoxification. In spas this is done in specialized hydrotherapy showers or in hot and cold tubs. Dr. Richard Schulze insists that this method can shrink tumors by up to half within four hours as well as completely cure cancer. Other proponents cite remarkable results in improving overall health and alleviating conditions ranging from arthritis to sinus infections, hypertension, and bone fractures.
Don’t despair if you don’t have access to a spa. You can cook up a version at home in your shower. The recipe here can range from a low end of spending just 30-60 seconds at each temperature extreme, alternating several times at the end of your morning shower to staying in the hot water for five minutes and the cold water for two, alternating back and forth for up to 45 minutes a session. In either case, always end with an icy splash to close your pores and to move your blood out from your core. If very ill, practice this technique at least three times a day.
So the next time your “significant other” gets disgusted with you and tells you to “go jump in a lake,” take it as an opportunity. Find the nearest icy pond, enjoy a dip, and then pop into the nearest hot tub. Your mood will improve, as will your health, even if your lover dumps you thereafter. Or you can just join the L Street Brownies.
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Hello Jon,
This makes sense. A couple of short questions. Would this hot/cold therapy be ill-advisable for people with heart issues or say diabetes?
How do you think it would affect a fever?
If say someone was aiming to improve their liver for instance, would they aim the hot/cold water stream at that region or does that really matter?
Justin
Seattle
Cold showers maybe great for the mind, but the chlorine in all that water has a direct link to breast cancer in women, surely doesn’t cut it, does it not? Best use well water and/or filter out the chlorine. While we’re at it, women should also quit dairy! There is a link to breast cancer from the hormone used to accelerate the growth of calf’s by modern diaries in our polluted environment. Insulin growth factor IGF-1, see”
http://www.rense.com/general51/cancer.htm >
Ah, Dean! It appears you’ve read my book, Lessons from the Miracle Doctors. Both topics are covered there. Thank you for the plug. For the rest of you, you can download a free copy at http://www.jonbarron.org/book/sign_up.php
hi,
i wanted to find out if taking cold showers will effect or slow down m growth
I’m not exactly sure what “m growth” is. But if you’re asking if cold showers will affect your rate of gowth — there’s no evidence to that effect.
To Dean above: good tips, users of showers and baths should have either a whole house filter which takes out chlorine [$500-$7500] (99.5% +) or a chlorine filter at the shower head [$20-$100, replacement filters $20-40 average] (a cheaper alternative, but that doesn’t handle the water at your bathroom sink, or any other sink). For bathtubs there is the bath ball that catches the water as it flows into the tub, thus having its chlorine neutralized.
And to Jon … maybe AJ is asking if cold showers will slow down his m[ale] growth … just a thought. Cold water can often make things appear smaller …
Hello,
is it ok to have cold showers every day? Also does the season matter e.g. only for hot days and not cold days
We’re not actually talking about “cold showers.” We’re talking about hydrotherapy — the alternating of hot and cold water at the end of your shower. And yes, you can do this every day. And in fact, it’s even more important to close your pores on cold days by finishing your shower with cold water then it is on hot days. You don’t really want your pores wide open heading out into a cold unfriendly world — surrounded by people coughing, sneezing, and shaking your hand with germ infested palms that they just sneezed into only moments before meeting you.
Jon Barron,
Just a mild correction: Hydrotherapy comprises ALL water cures – not just a specific one as suggested here (hydro is Greek, meaning water).
Apart from all its other benefits, a cold shower ending your warm one is definitely a terrific mood booster. Together with healthy foods (fresh produce and omega-3’s) and moderate movement, they would cure most of America’s depressed people.
I like your site!
Alexa Fleckenstein M.D., physician, author of “Health20 – Tap into the Healing Power of Water.”