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Cold Weather Affects Our Bodies in Surprising Ways

If you’re struggling with achy joints or insomnia this winter, you aren’t alone.

By Jocelyn Solis-Moreira
Feb 14, 2022 7:00 PM
Cold weather
(Credit: WAYHOME studio/Shutterstock)

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Whether you’re a beach bum or an ice queen like Elsa, most of us must deal with a drop in temperature during the winter season. On the outside, you prepare for those frosty mornings by bundling up. And on the inside, your body is adjusting in its own way — for better or worse.

For 4 to 6 percent of people, for example, colder weather means a case of the “winter blues.” Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a condition that often occurs in late fall and winter when a lack of sunlight triggers severe depressive symptoms. While the exact cause is unclear, some research suggests low vitamin D levels, a vitamin we get from sunlight, is linked to an increased risk.


Read More: This Winter’s Double Whammy of Pandemic Blues and Seasonal Depression

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