An Add-on Therapy For Obesity With Proven Benefits For Blood Sugar, Cholesterol, Triglyceride Levels

Engaging in brief 2-minute sessions can be beneficial for weight loss and overall health. These sessions have been shown to decrease triglyceride levels by approximately 17%, lower LDL cholesterol by over 20%, and reduce blood sugar levels by 10%.

For years, athletes have relied on this technique to aid muscle recovery. However, recent studies have brought it into the mainstream by highlighting its potential to enhance our skin, boost collagen production, and improve skin firmness. Surprisingly, it has also been found to be beneficial for insomnia, depression, and anxiety, in addition to offering pain relief.

This therapy, known as whole-body cryotherapy (WBC), has gained popularity despite its seemingly unconventional approach. Participants enter a cold chamber with sub-zero temperatures, which may sound extreme, but its health benefits are attracting more and more individuals.

While the idea of freezing inside a chamber for 10 minutes may not sound tempting, the numerous benefits it can provide might change your perspective.

Recent research presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Dublin, Ireland (17-20 May) suggests that whole-body cryostimulation can be a valuable supplementary treatment for obesity. In individuals with obesity, exposure to extreme cold for a short period of time led to twice the improvement in cholesterol levels and other blood fats compared to those who received a sham treatment.

Furthermore, participants who underwent WBC also experienced a greater reduction in waist circumference and blood sugar levels.

Considering these additional advantages, whole-body cryotherapy proves to be a fascinating and promising therapy for a variety of health conditions.

Prior studies have provided evidence indicating that white blood cells can exert significant influences on the human body.

It has the potential to enhance parasympathetic nervous system activity and serve as an innovative approach to reducing inflammation and oxidative stress, leading to positive effects on body composition, including adipose tissue proportion.

An increasing body of evidence also indicates that WBC is a valuable supplementary therapy for various conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory musculoskeletal disorders, and long COVID.

In this study, the authors “wanted to investigate its potential adjuvant role in the treatment of obesity,” remarks Dr. Jacopo Fontana from the Istituto Auxologico Piancavallo IRCCS, Italy.

Dr. Fontana and colleagues conducted a research study to investigate the impact of cryotherapy on various health parameters in individuals with obesity. The study examined changes in body composition, blood pressure, heart rate variability, lipid and hematological profiles, and physical performance.

The study included 29 participants (12 men and 17 women) with a BMI greater than 30 kg/m2 who were admitted to a multidisciplinary rehabilitation program. This program involved personalized diet plans, psychological support, and supervised physical activity. The participants were divided into two groups: one receiving 10 sessions of 2-minute WBC at minus 110°C in a cryochamber over a period of two weeks (WBC group), and the other receiving the same intervention but at non-cryostimulating temperatures of minus 55°C (SHAM group), serving as the control.

Throughout the study, close communication was maintained with the patients, who were instructed to wear minimal clothing consisting of a t-shirt, shorts, and plastic clogs. Additionally, they were required to remove glasses, contact lenses, and metal jewelry before entering the walk-in chamber.

Both groups experienced reductions in triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL, and LDL cholesterol levels, although the WBC group demonstrated twice as much improvement. After two weeks, the WBC group exhibited a 17% decrease in triglyceride levels, compared to an 8.7% decrease in the SHAM group. Similarly, total cholesterol levels decreased by 20.2% in the WBC group compared to a 9.4% decrease in the SHAM group. HDL cholesterol levels decreased by 12.7% in the WBC group, whereas the SHAM group showed a decrease of 6.3%. LDL cholesterol levels demonstrated a 24.7% decrease in the WBC group, in contrast to a 10.5% decrease in the SHAM group.

Likewise, blood glucose levels decreased by 10.3% in the WBC group compared to a 2.8% decrease in the SHAM group. Both groups also experienced reductions in waist circumference, with the WBC group showing a 5.6% decrease and the SHAM group a 1.4% decrease.

The observed outcomes are believed to be a result of the cold temperatures stimulating the transformation of white adipose tissue into brown adipose tissue. When exposed to cold temperatures, brown fat metabolizes glucose and fat molecules to generate heat, thereby assisting in maintaining body temperature.

In terms of blood pressure, the group undergoing whole-body cryotherapy experienced a greater reduction in diastolic blood pressure compared to the control group (9.9% decrease vs. 3.9% decrease). However, while the WBC group showed a decrease in heart rate, the control group (SHAM) exhibited an increase.

Both groups demonstrated similar improvements in physical performance, as indicated by tests measuring hand grip strength and walking speed.

Furthermore, the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for relaxation and controls functions like heart rate, blood pressure, and digestion during periods of rest, increased in both groups. However, the increase was more significant in the WBC group.

“Activity of the parasympathetic nervous system, or parasympathetic tone, is associated in clinical studies with mental and physical well-being and a lower risk of mortality, particularly with regard to cardiovascular disease,” Dr. Fontana adds.

“An increase in parasympathetic tone, as seen here, has potential short and long-term health benefits for participants.”

The findings of the study suggest that the WBC (Whole Body Cryotherapy) group, exposed to a temperature of minus 110°C, exhibited more pronounced effects on metabolic and hematological profiles (glucose and lipids), body composition (waist circumference), and vital signs compared to the SHAM group, which experienced a temperature of minus 55°C.

“Our results indicate that whole body cryostimulation is beneficial in the treatment of obesity. The improvements in blood fats and glucose were particularly striking but larger studies of a longer duration are needed to confirm these preliminary results.”

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