is cold water really a help?

[monique]

These last few days I have been experimenting having cold showers in the morning.
There is a lot of (wacky?..;-)) science about this.
But somehow it triggered me: it's easy and inexpensive + I have some experience with winter-seakayaking, which I love.
Whenever I get the chance and feel up to it, in winter, I have a dunk in the cold sea and it is exhilarating. 
Now I find the time to take this "cold water" thing more structurally......who knows....

(ps Disclaimer:I do wear a high quality drysuit + neoprene balaclava etc, so only my face and hands get wet but I feel the blast of the cold on my whole body, and it's near the landing spot + my partner is always near + I have been doing this for the last decade.....in case there are safety concerns...or you might think I am mental...which is ok..;-))

[maren]

I believe it's beneficial, people who do it regularly swear by it. I just can't get used to it ;-)

[EJ]

I remember reading once that cold is good for people who want to lose weight. But cold (like winter) can be harsh for people with autoimmune conditions-we flare up! So I would just see how you feel.