In a voluntary test group with 26 people, the participants had to draw lots. Just over half would freeze. The rest would stay warm.
The freezing test group would dress lightly and avoid mittens and cap while the other group would stay warmly dressed.
Behind the study is Fredrik Nyström, professor at Linköping University and chief physician in internal medicine. He researches risk factors for cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes and examines how blood sugar regulation, blood fats, abdominal obesity and other risk factors are affected by what we eat and drink and how we exercise or freeze.
Socks to avoid freezing
It turned out that the freezing test subjects tolerated more and more cold and had to adopt increasingly tougher methods to succeed in freezing.
- One person sat on the balcony in underpants an hour a day, says Fredrik Nyström, but he had socks on so that his feet would not freeze in the concrete floor.
Babies have more brown fat
Small children have a larger proportion of brown adipose tissue than adults. Over time, the brown fat shrinks, but by freezing one can then activate its brown fat again and make it grow according to Nyström.
The brown fat can generate heat. You can thus teach the body to warm itself and because it burns fat you can lose weight with the method. If you do not start eating more of course.
Freezing increased brown fat
The proportion of brown adipose tissue was measured by magnetic X-ray before and after the test and those who frozen increased their brown adipose tissue.
The brown fat can generate heat. The body can learn to warm itself up and as it burns more fat you can lose weight with the method. If you do not start eating more of course.