Ok. It isn't often I come across recent (2011) research on body temperature, and this piece of research is not specifically directed at temperature, more towards the genetics of it and metabolism, but some VERY interesting information is revealed amongst the text:
"Defining the genetics of Body Temperature and its relationship to Human Longevity
2011
Senior Scholar Award In Aging
Our research into the relationship between body temperature and longevity was stimulated by two related observations in animal systems. It has been known for almost fifty years that dietary caloric restriction in many species (including primates) could extend life. In the course of those experiments it was noted that body temperature was also lowered, and it appeared that the two were mechanistically linked. In the second experiment, a gene known to be involved in energy metabolism was turned on in the temperature control region of the brains of mice. That gene provided a signal to the mouse brain that was the same as would be present if the external temperature were elevated. The physiological response of the mice was to significantly lower their body temperature. The surprising result was that the mice carrying the gene lived twenty per cent longer than genetically identical mice not carrying the extra energy regulating gene. The low temperature mice consumed the same number of calories, appeared to exercise to the same degree as their normal siblings and had no difference in their sleep patterns.
These findings led us to examine a database established at the Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) by my late Chairman and colleague Dr. Ernest Beutler, which contains de-identified health and physiologic data contributed by almost 40,000 individuals undergoing routine health evaluations. It is coupled with a biobank containing serum and DNA (and informed consent for their use in biomedical research) from almost 30,000 of the group. Examining those data we found that, in the absence of illness, body temperatures dropped significantly with age in both men and women after age 50. It was also evident that in each decade after 50 the proportion of individuals with body temperatures less than 96°F increased while the fraction with body temperatures above 98°F declined. The findings can be interpreted in either of two ways. Older people could lose the capacity to maintain higher body temperatures or, more interestingly and more consistent with the animal experiments, individuals maintaining a lower body temperature throughout life had a longer life span. Prior studies comparing body temperatures in identical and non-identical twins indicate that the hereditary component of the variation in mean body temperature might be as much as 65%. If that is the case and is related to longevity we would expect to find genes associated with lower body temperature shared among the individuals with the lowest body temperatures at every age and much less frequent in individuals with higher body temperatures. If those genes contribute to a longer life span they should be more frequent in the oldest groups of subjects.
We have now identified other populations in which body temperature data are available and in which the participants’ DNA samples have undergone genomewide analysis (GWAS). As our first task we are analyzing the data from those studies in order to get a preliminary sense of what genes may be involved in body temperature regulation. Those would be the first candidates for further analysis to be examined in the DNA samples from the TSRI biobank to determine if the association with body temperature can be independently confirmed. Our subsequent studies will determine if in fact all or some of them are also associated with human lifespan, the mechanisms responsible for the associations and how they may be related to the maintenance of youthfulness."
(source:
http://www.ellisonfoundation.org/node/4662)
The interesting bit for me are that over the age of 50 human temperatures decline, is this a built in self destruct mechanism I wonder?
Author Janey Hood
January 2014
I saw this in the news yesterday and thought it was worth a comment:
"New research suggests weight loss isn’t just about living a healthy lifestyle—the temperature of the space you live in may have an impact too.
In a new article published in Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism, researchers examined evidence on whether temperature can impact an individual’s ability to regulate body temperature, generate heat and burn fat.
Previous research has indicated that prolonged exposure to mildly cold temperatures can effect a person’s energy expenditure over a period of time. One research group from Japan discovered that after people spent two hours per day in a 62.6 degrees F climate, they experienced a decrease in body fat after six weeks.
Furthermore, the researchers also discovered people adapt to colder temperatures over time. Study author Wouter van Marken Lichtenbelt, of Maastricht University Medical Center in The Netherlands, studied a group of 17 subjects living in climate-controlled respiration chambers heated to 59 F for 6 hours a day. After 10 days, participants saw an increase in ‘healthy’ brown fat, felt more comfortable and shivered less compared to at the beginning of the study.
Brown fat is considered to be a healthy fat because it uses energy from food or energy stored in white fat to produce heat.
“Brown fat can be ‘turned on’ when you get cold,” van Marken Lichtenbelt told FoxNews.com. “Instead of shivering, you can turn on brown fat to warm up.”
Heat production affects energy balance, and thereby can affect our body weight, van Marken Lichtenbelt said. The researchers said that mildly cold temperatures – around 62 degrees – encourage the body to use nonshivering thermogenesis (NST), a process in which the body burns brown fat to heat the body.
Because indoor temperatures in most buildings are regulated, people are typically exposed to relatively high indoor temperatures during winter months. The researchers concluded that a lack of exposure to ambient temperature leaves populations prone to developing obesity.
They suggest that that keeping living spaces at temperatures closer to outdoor conditions may be healthier for people and also feel more pleasant. Van Marken Lichtenbelt maintained that temperatures should be in line with the outside temperatures – but not exactly the same, so people avoid both sweating or shivering.
“My message is that variable indoor temperatures and having more control can create a more healthy environment,” van Marken Lichtenbelt said. “Physiological studies now show that the cold can be healthy.” "
Article courtesy of Fox news 2014(click to view).
In a new article published in Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism, researchers examined evidence on whether temperature can impact an individual’s ability to regulate body temperature, generate heat and burn fat.
Previous research has indicated that prolonged exposure to mildly cold temperatures can effect a person’s energy expenditure over a period of time. One research group from Japan discovered that after people spent two hours per day in a 62.6 degrees F climate, they experienced a decrease in body fat after six weeks.
Furthermore, the researchers also discovered people adapt to colder temperatures over time. Study author Wouter van Marken Lichtenbelt, of Maastricht University Medical Center in The Netherlands, studied a group of 17 subjects living in climate-controlled respiration chambers heated to 59 F for 6 hours a day. After 10 days, participants saw an increase in ‘healthy’ brown fat, felt more comfortable and shivered less compared to at the beginning of the study.
Brown fat is considered to be a healthy fat because it uses energy from food or energy stored in white fat to produce heat.
“Brown fat can be ‘turned on’ when you get cold,” van Marken Lichtenbelt told FoxNews.com. “Instead of shivering, you can turn on brown fat to warm up.”
Heat production affects energy balance, and thereby can affect our body weight, van Marken Lichtenbelt said. The researchers said that mildly cold temperatures – around 62 degrees – encourage the body to use nonshivering thermogenesis (NST), a process in which the body burns brown fat to heat the body.
Because indoor temperatures in most buildings are regulated, people are typically exposed to relatively high indoor temperatures during winter months. The researchers concluded that a lack of exposure to ambient temperature leaves populations prone to developing obesity.
They suggest that that keeping living spaces at temperatures closer to outdoor conditions may be healthier for people and also feel more pleasant. Van Marken Lichtenbelt maintained that temperatures should be in line with the outside temperatures – but not exactly the same, so people avoid both sweating or shivering.
“My message is that variable indoor temperatures and having more control can create a more healthy environment,” van Marken Lichtenbelt said. “Physiological studies now show that the cold can be healthy.” "
Article courtesy of Fox news 2014(click to view).
I haven't read the detailed research, which I should, because what is missing in my blog are a few figures.
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa0808718
Now, unless I dig deeper, I have not yet found any reference to the body temperatures of the individuals in the research. Just that the subjects were healthy men.
What concerns me is that many people might now go and turn their heating down, of particular concern are those people with central hypothermia.
I aim for a normal body temperature 37C all day every day, ideally in a 32C ambient temperature (without too many clothes), or if lower ambient temperature, with lots of clothes - just enough to feel uncomfortably warm and sustain cycling my 37C body temperature). I also want a low metabolism, which I 'push' on occasion if I choose to and with understanding. I can do this because I no longer have central hypothermia.
If, however I had been at my old low temperature of 35.8C and I deliberately made myself colder, I would have been in BIG trouble.
Actually I CAN remember this happening in one air conditioned environment I worked in a long time ago. My cognitive function was massively impaired - I couldn't think straight, my adrenals were shot trying to keep me warm, I was exhausted and I had many subset illnesses developing.
Air conditioning is a big no no for me. Interestingly I went for a breast health check yesterday (which was OK by the way) and the waiting room was air conditioned, it was cold outside and seemed to me even colder INSIDE. It took me quite a while to warm up when I got home.
My own thinking is, if I were obese, before I altered any ambient temperature or anything else for that matter, I would establish what my own operating temperature was, if it was low, I would look at what if anything could be done about that first. Then I would look at ketosis.
If all was reset and operating optimally, I would then find a 59F or 15C room way too cold to function in.
Shivvvvvver me timbers would I ever want to expose myself to being that cold very long let alone for six hours per day? Not unless I was deliberately pushing my metabolism.
The media ought to have added in their reporting: 'Don't try this at home'.
Author
Janey Hood
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa0808718
Now, unless I dig deeper, I have not yet found any reference to the body temperatures of the individuals in the research. Just that the subjects were healthy men.
What concerns me is that many people might now go and turn their heating down, of particular concern are those people with central hypothermia.
I aim for a normal body temperature 37C all day every day, ideally in a 32C ambient temperature (without too many clothes), or if lower ambient temperature, with lots of clothes - just enough to feel uncomfortably warm and sustain cycling my 37C body temperature). I also want a low metabolism, which I 'push' on occasion if I choose to and with understanding. I can do this because I no longer have central hypothermia.
If, however I had been at my old low temperature of 35.8C and I deliberately made myself colder, I would have been in BIG trouble.
Actually I CAN remember this happening in one air conditioned environment I worked in a long time ago. My cognitive function was massively impaired - I couldn't think straight, my adrenals were shot trying to keep me warm, I was exhausted and I had many subset illnesses developing.
Air conditioning is a big no no for me. Interestingly I went for a breast health check yesterday (which was OK by the way) and the waiting room was air conditioned, it was cold outside and seemed to me even colder INSIDE. It took me quite a while to warm up when I got home.
My own thinking is, if I were obese, before I altered any ambient temperature or anything else for that matter, I would establish what my own operating temperature was, if it was low, I would look at what if anything could be done about that first. Then I would look at ketosis.
If all was reset and operating optimally, I would then find a 59F or 15C room way too cold to function in.
Shivvvvvver me timbers would I ever want to expose myself to being that cold very long let alone for six hours per day? Not unless I was deliberately pushing my metabolism.
The media ought to have added in their reporting: 'Don't try this at home'.
Author
Janey Hood
January 2014
Recently I was listening to Paul McKenna enthusiastically discussing his new book, he says people should forget everything they have tried in the past and look at his different approach. I haven't read his book and so am unable to comment about his methods.
He is right to highlight obesity it is becoming a big problem in the UK.
I am constantly observing people. I watched two overweight ladies running the other evening, they were joking to each other as they punished themselves running up a steep flight of steps wearing their high vis jackets, huffing and puffing.
It made me start thinking about what was going on in their bodies - pure speculaton of course: they were exhausted, running badly, they had no spring and their breathing was laboured. In short they looked very uncomfortable as if they were fighting with something.Now I am not a runner, but, observing how my body behaves when I do any form of something energetic, I know now there are times when it feels easier, and other times when I feel as though I am pushing a piano up hill.
So, what is the difference?
I think there are a few possibilities affecting my low energy days. One idea is, I have had more than 20 minutes of being cold (like when I sit here writing my blog before I have warmed up) and have used up my adrenalin and /or that I have failed to ensure my metabolic processes are optimised. Sometimes I can even observe my adrenal reserves in the size of my pupils.
Set points I believe must be included in the equation, because unless the correct set points are being selected then I get that feeling of pushing against a locked door and so set points for me impact on the ease of doing things.
Finally sloth, I have to admit I am not very fit, and could do better, but when I have a go and I have my terrain just right, I manage to do reasonably well for an oldie, and what is more interesting is that when I have things metabolically wrong, I cannot properly function at all.
And so to the the weighty problem. Is there really any point trying to fix an over weight problem if the terrain is not optimal, if set points are being selected incorrectly, if metabolic processes are compromised? It would also be interesting to do some research to find out exactly why those immune systems are so compromised. it is time to step away from the blame culture.
Take this (poor) analogy, if I were fixing a broken hoover, the very first thing I would check would be the power supply, there would be no point getting straight into the workings of the machine, the thing would never operate without power and indeed, I might be doing more harm. Additionally, unless I was Basil Faulty, I would not jump around shouting at and beating up my poor hoover!
Looking at health, I wonder why we often look at the details and proffer blame before we establish optimal operation. Isn't the immune system fundamental to everything we do? We get a cold we treat the symptoms, we never check the immune system is optimal, I wonder why?
What is also interesting to me is the (media) perception of how the immune system can be optimised is also being rendered to details, for example taking vitamin C. In a fully optimal system vitamin C may indeed make a difference, but what about the people with a massively compromised immune system? A little vitamin C here would be hardly effective at all.
I had this following conversation with a woman who corresponded with me recently, I think it is an interesting thread and she agreed to allow me to share it. The highlighted cream words are my responses:
Hello Janey
>>I was on the internet searching for information on Iodine Therapy after thinking that perhaps I am having a problem with my thyroid.
OK
>>I have experienced weight gain but can attribute it to menopause and maybe at times not eating very well.
There are lots of discussions about weight recently in the press, I loathe the way the media and 'authorities' try to impose self flagellation on those who are overweight. I have an alternate view. I now believe weight or more specifically ketosis and appetite are set points along with temperature. I now think that the brain as the Central Metabolic Control System selects these set points and this sometimes goes awry, it may be that the menopause is one of those times when the brain goes awry. There may be many other possible reasons why the CMCS incorrectly selects set points.
>>BUT when I do eat a healthy plan the weight is simply not budgeing.
So, could it be you are not going into ketosis? or have you a low operating temperature set point which is compromising the immune system? These also may be symptoms of low thyroid function and a TSH test would identify that or rule it out, note: true hypothyroidism is much more rare.
>>I also find that I have been very tired, depressed, foggy head, and muscle aches all over my body.
All symptoms associated with hypothyroidism, OR all symptoms of low body temperature. It is my experience that body temperature is more upstream than the thyroid which make a little sense as the thyroid also has to operate at a correctly selected temperature set point in order to work optimally.
I had all the symptoms of hypothyroidism with a normal TSH, fixing my set point fixed my symptoms, no meds required. Have you tried tracking your temperature for a few days, recording it at different times during the day and night?
If you have a low temperature, then it would be worth looking at what is the cause, is it central hypothermia (low set point selection)? Is it iodine deficiency/bromide overload? Is it simply not wearing enough clothes? Is it true hypothyroidism?
>> I came across you page and was interested as I am also a BC survivor - thriver is a word a prefer.
Yes, I got my 'survivor' terminology from the breastcancerchoices.org thinktankers board. 'Thriving' is a word I could apply to myself NOW as I feel so much better after having spent the last four years fixing some things. (I have a bit to do yet!).
>> I had BC in 1996 and 2006 also DCIS.
I am sorry to hear that. Steve Richfield writes, in his experience he has never come across anyone who is operating at 37C who has had cancer. Dr David Jernigan writes he notices everyone who visits his surgery all seem to have low temperatures. My reset and continuing to keep my temperature at 37C everyday, all day, is part of my cancer protocol.
>> I live in London currently but hope to move back to Florida in the next couple of years.
I am thinking it is warmer there?
>>Would like some info about iodine and how to take it and what is the best solution
I take Lugols, from Healthleads because a bottle for ~ £20 lasts more than a year, Iodoral is still Lugols in tablet form and is preferred by some because it is very accurately measured in dose, it seems to irritate the stomach less, but Lugols drops with food never upset me. Iodoral, by comparison, is more expensive. Dr David Derry told me to take 10 drops per day for 7 months then down to a maintenance dose of four drops, he also told me to paint my whole chest area and under arms with iodine until is is a mid amber colour. I corresponded with him for about a year just after my BC diagnosis and when I was very depressed. He was brilliant with me..However for me, iodine alone was not fixing many of my other problems, so I began to realise it was only part of the solution, I needed to look at other possibilities, that is why I checked out thyroid function and no matter what I tried I couldn't fix these niggling little illnesses and I was fading away. Finally I found my temperature issues which were compromising my immune system. Resetting has been the single most effective thing I have done, it alone enables the immune system to have a go at fixing things itself, clearly not everything can be fixed by the immune system, I will never grow a new left breast for example!
>>Thank you for your time and this page is great. Incidentally where is Dr. Derry located UK?
Dr David Derry was in Canada (I think) when I corresponded with him, he was born in the UK. I could not find any iodine literal doctors in the UK. I learned everything from Dr David Brownstein's book and the thinktankers. What I would say about my experience with iodine now is, in hindsight, and with my observations of my now optimally operating immune system, that at normal temperatures it is not necessary to take the high doses of when I was at low temperature, and if I take too much I don't feel well. I do still take it though but am down to around 1 drop per week.
The contributors to breastcancerchoices.org forum are incredibly knowledgeable about iodine and it might be worth looking at them, or the Yahoo Iodine group.
My suggestion, for what it is worth is to explore your temperature, if it is proving to be low, work out what is causing it to be low, and then go from there, I am more than happy to look at your findings, then may be point you in a direction that might save you a lot of time and money exploring too many options.
Thoughts?
The thread ends here. I think there is so much going on with this woman, and that what has started as a simple enquiry actually could be much more interesting.
Its what we do next that affects outcome.
There may never be cures for many illnesses, but establishing a metabolic bench mark, a starting point, might be the beginning of a true alternate way forward.
Author Janey Hood
Normal Body Temperature.co.uk
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