Staying in Cooler Environs Might Aid Weight Loss Efforts

A new study led by researchers at Maastricht University in the Netherlands suggests that cooler temperatures can help people in their fight to lose weight. The researchers said that exposing the body to temperatures that were ‘mildly cold’, or around 64°-66° F, helped burn more calories.

The findings were based on a 10-year long study which concluded that non-shivering heat production in response to feeling cold by young and middle-aged individuals could account for 30 percent of the body's energy use.

“Since most of us are exposed to indoor conditions 90 percent of the time, it is worth exploring health aspects of ambient temperatures. What would it mean if we let our bodies work again to control body temperature? We hypothesize that the thermal environment affects human health and more specifically that frequent mild cold exposure can significantly affect our energy expenditure over sustained time periods”, lead researcher Wouter van Marken Lichtenbelt said.

Source-Medindia