Science Of Life

Author(s): U S Dugar
Publisher: U S Dugar

Page 97

the few defences to function metabolism more efficiently. One who wears more woollens in winter has very little capacity to face the cold. Working in an environment of about (with 45 percent humidity) is most comfortable. However, the ideal working temperature could be as low as 16 deg C without special clothing to ward off the cold. Generally, cold weather is not a danger unless the skin is exposed for prolonged periods in subfreezing temperatures. If it is not too cold, body adapt to cold temperature pretty well. Cold temperatures perform a great public health service by killing off disease mongering insects and microorganisms. On the whole the body burns off or prevents accumulation of negative energies, clearing a path toward spiritual evolution. A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine in the late 1970s famously debunked the belief that the common cold is linked to cold exposure.
While the body has some very effective mechanisms to adjust to extreme heat conditions, it has very few tricks to deal with the cold. The body's metabolism is slowed down by extreme cold and flu viruses spread more readily once the air is dry and chilly. Its first line of defence is to constrict blood vessels and limit blood flow to the extremities (primarily hands and feet) and to the skin's surface. That way, less body heat from the blood is lost through the skin into the environment. The body's only other defence against the cold is shivering, which generates heat by increasing the body's metabolism. A common symptom of cold weather is its effect on urine production. Exposure to cold causes a reduction in blood flow to the surface of the skin by constriction of blood vessels. This reduces
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