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All you need to know about cryotherapy for weight loss
Although cryotherapy is hyped as a big thing, there is no credible scientific evidence to back up its proclaimed anti-aging or weight-loss benefits.
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A woman prepares to enter a cryotherapy chamber. (Shutterstock/Jacob Lund)
C
ryotherapy is often used by elite athletes such as Kobe Bryant and Cristiano Ronaldo for wellness purposes. The treatment is said to boost the metabolism, loosen the muscles, improve blood circulation and relieve joint and body pain.
Originated in Japan to treat arthritis in the late 1970s, cryotherapy has since come to be seen as a beauty trend, with some claiming it improves appearance, slows aging and burns calories.
The treatment involves entering a chamber with clothes covering only intimate body parts, where a sudden drop in temperature by the release of liquid nitrogen onto the skin signals the brain to send the body’s blood supply to insulate and protect vital organs. Upon exiting the chamber, blood is pumped back around the body, which increases oxygen and the removal of toxins. The cold feeling also triggers the release of endorphins, which could help in relieving pain and induce a feeling of pleasure.
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Jessica Alba and Jennifer Aniston are among a number of celebrities known to use the treatment regularly, praising its supposed anti-aging properties.
A number of claims have also been expressed by medical practitioners, although there is no scientific evidence to support its claimed effectiveness for weight loss. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved whole body cryotherapy as a medical treatment.
The N.E.W. Program Medical Director Brian Quebbemann, MD, stated that there was no scientific evidence that the effect would be long-lasting. A study published in the journal Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity found that six months of cryotherapy didn’t result in any change in body mass or body fat, even when combined with moderate aerobic exercise, he explains.
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Plastic surgeon Dr. Steven Levine said that the cooling of the body did have anti-inflammatory benefits. “But cryotherapy…is akin to a medical fad,” he says. “If there was a way to burn 800 calories in three minutes, it would be a whole lot more popular than it is,” says Levine, “and a whole lot more than the $90 they’re charging for it.”
An accident involving cryotherapy in 2015 resulted in the death of Chelsea Patricia Ake-Salvacion during a treatment. Reports stated that Ake-Salvacion died from asphyxia caused by low oxygen levels. Practitioners said no one should ever be in the chamber alone without supervision, as Ake-Salvacion was. (wen/kes)
