What are the benefits of cold exposure?

The benefits of cold exposure, as discussed by Andrew Huberman, include:

• Increases in metabolism.
• Enhancement of brown fat stores, which help heat the body in cold environments.
• Reduction of inflammation.
• Increase in resilience.
• Long-lasting increases in dopamine levels, which can lead to mood improvements and heightened alertness 1.
• Mental resilience building through stress inoculation.
• Increase in mental acuity as a response to the release of catecholamines (dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine) 2 3.
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• Conversion of white fat cells to beige or brown fat cells, which are thermogenic and help stay lean 4.
• Can assist in addiction recovery by offering a healthy dopamine increase 5.
• Helps to regulate cortisol and hormone production, which could be beneficial for fertility 6.

It's important to engage in deliberate cold exposure safely and to gradually adapt to the cold to prevent adverse reactions 6.