The claim: Lack of sleep increases the risk of catching a cold.
The facts: As the cold season approaches, many people stock up on vitamin C and echinacea.
However, heeding the age-old advice about catching up on sleep might be more important.
Studies have demonstrated that poor sleep and susceptibility to colds go hand in hand and scientists think it could be a reflection of the role sleep plays in maintaining the body's defences.
In a recent study published in The Archives Of Internal Medicine, scientists followed 153 men and women for two weeks, keeping track of their quality and duration of sleep.
Then, during a five-day period, they quarantined the subjects and exposed them to cold viruses. Those who slept an average of fewer than seven hours a night were three times as likely to get sick as those who averaged at least eight hours of sleep.
Sleep and immunity, it seems, are tightly linked. Studies have found that mammals which require the most sleep also produce greater levels of disease-fighting white blood cells - but not red blood cells, even though both are produced in the bone marrow and stem from the same precursor.
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology have shown that species which sleep more have greater resistance against pathogens.
The scientists said: 'Species that have evolved longer sleep durations appear to be able to increase investment in their immune systems and be better protected.'
The bottom line: Research suggests that poor sleep can increase susceptibility to colds.
The New York Times
Info Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/Mind%2BYour%2BBody/Health%2BHelp/Story/STIStory_439371.html
My comments: Based on my personal experience, to have good health, calorie restriction with a healthy diet and sleep are the most important.
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