We've talked a lot on the channel about Wim Hof, his breathing techniques and the benefits
of cold therapy, or cold showers.
One of the known benefits of applying the Wim Hof technique and taking cold showers
is an improved immune system, with many saying they no longer feel unwell and haven't been
sick for extended periods of time.
In this video, I explore deeper into the idea of how the Wim Hof Method benefits our immune
system, delving into studies conducted and what this can mean for your health and why
you feel less sickness when practicing the Wim Hof method.
Some of the discussion points are startling, especially the effects the Wim Hof technique
has on the body and the science behind the its benefits, with the content based on the
results seen in a study conducted by Radboud University on the voluntary activation of
the sympathetic nervous system and attenuation of the innate immune response in humans.
So with all that said, let's delve deeper into the subject...
How The Immune System Works So, before we begin looking into what was
tested and the results found, it's probably of benefit to understand the foundations behing
the theory of these tests.
The idea is that when bacteria, even dead bacteria as found in inactive vaccines, are
introduced to the body they often cause our innate immune response to act by triggering
the release of proteins and physiological changes to help prepare the body to fight
infection.
This is why you often feel sick, whether it be temperature changes, headaches, shivers
or other sensations.
It's traditionally been believed that we can't control our innate immune response, as it's
dependent on the autonomic nervous system which the body controls automatically.
However, what has been found was that when Wim Hof used his breathing technique, he was
able to dampen the effects of the innate immune response, feeling less unwell.
The Test Conducted Given the results seen when testing Wim Hof,
it was questioned whetheer this ability to control the autonomic nervous system was unique
to him, or whether it could be applied by other people.
Therefore, a large scale study was carried out.
For the test, thirty healthy men volunteered, 18 of which were trained in the Wim Hof method,
the 12 remaining untrained.
The 18 spent 4 days in Poland being trained by Wim Hof, learning how to do his breathing
methods and learn about and practice cold therapy.
The other 12 were injected with the Endotoxin being used to test the effects it would have
on the body.
When the group training with Wim Hof returned, they too were injected with the Endotoxin
for the experiment.
The Results So with both groups being tested in their
response to the Endotoxin, what was found?
Well, simply put, the group that practiced the Wim Hof method did show signs of being
able to dampen the effects of the innate immune response, just as Wim Hof had, whereas the
group who didn't do any practices followed the expected course of feeling unwell.
But this leads us to then ask the question, why is this?
Well, as part of the study many factors were taken into the consideration and the volunteers
were monitored to see their biological responses to the Endotoxins.
Why This Occurred The first factor to take into consideration
is that adrenaline levels were increased in the group that practiced the Wim Hof method.
With adrenaline, the cytokine, or small protein, Interleukin-10 levels increased, meaning this
had an anti-inflammatory effect as it inhibits the release of other proteins that increase
inflammation.
You might think this might inhibit your recovery as well though right?
Well, it turns out while proteins were inhibited, white blood cells, which combats infection,
actually increased in those who practiced the Wim Hof method, meaning they were also
able to recover more quickly.
What This Could Mean So we've understood that using the Wim Hof
technique can help us have some level of control in our autonomous nervous system and thus
dampen the effects of the innate immune response, helping us feel healthier despite the body
combating infection.
However, what does this actually mean in practice?
Well, it's an important finding in the field of human biology, as we previously didn't
know that we could potentially control the autonomous nervous system, thus regulate the
healing process.
Equally importantly, this raises further questions, especially as it could help us understand
how to cope with autoimmune disease, where the immune system mistakenly attacks the body
and could lead to some serious issues.
So it's worth understand and practicing the Wim Hof method, as now we can better understand
why the Iceman never gets sick.
Were you aware of these effects using the Wim Hof technique?
Let me know in the comments.
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