Colder Climates Help You Live Longer (2024)

FAQs

Does living in cold climates help you live longer? ›

In research compiled as recently as two years ago, it was determined that people living in cooler regions of the world may live an average of 2.2163 years longer than those who don't.

Boost your immune system

Exposure to cold temperatures can strengthen the immune system, increasing the body's ability to fight infections and diseases.

A lower body temperature is one of the most effective mechanisms to prolong the lifespan of animals. New research has now described precisely how this works. The scientists show that cold can prevent the pathological aggregation of proteins typical for two aging-associated neurodegenerative diseases.

Warmth and sunlight can offer real benefit to your health. From improved heart and lung health, to enhanced mental performance, living in a warm climate may give you just the health boost you need.

The low temperatures actively removed protein clumps, stopping further buildup of protein clusters. Even a moderate drop in temperature stimulates proteasome to activate its cell-cleansing activity, which has implications for aging and aging-associated diseases.

While cold weather can be beneficial to your health, it can also increase your chances of getting sick and bring other health risks with it. Cold weather can put increased stress on our cardiovascular system.

Low temperatures can increase the likelihood of getting sick. The body is not as effective at fighting a virus when cold air enters the nose and upper airways, so viruses such as the common cold, the flu and COVID-19 often spread more easily in the winter.

The good news about cold weather

Firstly, you're likely to get less sun exposure, and therefore experience less of the sun damage that causes ageing. You're also less likely to get flare-ups triggered by sweat or heat. Cold can lessen the effects of inflammation, and reduce puffiness.

The intuitive interpretation for how low body temperature extends longevity is that it affects metabolic rates and this decreases the rate of biochemical reactions and retards whatever process(es) cause(s) ageing. Since metabolic rate increases exponentially with temperature (Gillooly et al.

People don't often pay attention to the temp of their rooms when they sleep, unless the temperature gets too hot or cold. But what you may not realize is that keeping our bedrooms cool all year is good. It can not only help us sleep better, but it can also prevent sickness and even slow down the aging process!

Do people in colder climates get sick more? ›

New research shows that cold air drastically reduces your nose's production of these EVs, thereby reducing your immune response. Put another way, when it's cold outside, it's cold inside your nose, which compromises your nose as a barrier to germs, so you are more susceptible to viruses entering.

At least five areas on Earth have been officially identified as "blue zones," where people live the longest and healthiest lives. The are Okinawa, Japan; Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica; Loma Linda, California; Ikaria, Greece; and Sardinia, Italy.

When you are cold, blood vessels narrow in your skin and fingers and toes, so that less heat is lost. But this narrowing (called 'vasoconstriction') creates more pressure in the rest of the circulation, meaning the heart has to work harder to pump blood around the body, increasing heart rate and blood pressure.

Another reason for living longer in colder climates is when your colder, the body needs additional mitochondria to warm you up, and mitochondria also slows the aging process.

One of the primary mechanisms behind the anti-aging benefits of cold exposure therapy, such as cold showers or ice baths, lies in the body's response to the sudden temperature change. When we expose ourselves to cold, our bodies undergo several physiological changes that contribute to its positive effects.

“Blue Zones” are geographic areas with lower rates of chronic diseases and a longer life expectancy. Diet, fasting, and exercise are factors associated with Blue Zones. Italy, Greece, Japan, Costa Rica, and the US have a Blue Zone.

“Generally, it was thought that if an organism is exposed to lower temperature, it passively lowers their metabolic rate and that slows the release of ROS, which slows down cellular damage. That, in turn, delays aging and extends lifespan,” Gribble said.