video has gone viral on Instagram, where a Norwegian cardiologist is being quoted as saying that cold morning showers could cause a brain stroke.The post says, "Cold water causes instant vascular constriction in 2 seconds, and the blood pressure surges to 200/130. The heart races at 180 beats per minute, struggling to pump through narrowed arteries. Then the weakest brain vessels ruptures."When this claim was contradicted by stating that most research mention that cold water is good for you, the "Cardiologist" says, "Those studies tested healthy athletes at 4 p.m., when pressure is steady. Marketers then pushed the findings for all times, all conditions."
The video did not actually feature a cardiologist, neither did mention any name or place of practicing of the cardiologist. The post only mentions 'Volkov' as the cardiologist. In fact, the caption of the post also claimed that studies have shown the correlation between cold waters and brain stroke did not cite any studies.Our team at Times Now Digital tried to verify this claim and here is what we found.A similar claim was made by a UiTM Professor. He claimed that because the 'body takes time to adjust its temperature too quickly because we are warm-blooded' thus sudden cold water on head could cause a stroke. This claim, however, was debunked by Thanh Phan, head of neuroscience research at Monash Health. He claimed that majority of stroke happens due to clot obstructing blood flow in brain. In fact, there are plenty scientific evidence which suggest that cold baths can offer health benefits, including enhanced immune function, improved stress resilience, cardiovascular support, better insulin sensitivity, and positive effects on mental health. Dr Sahil Kohli, Associate Director, Neurology, Neurosciences at Max Hospital Gurugram in a video says that cold shower could in fact cause peripheral vasoconstrictions, and may increase stroke risk. This claim however, is in contradiction to what Dr Rahul Chawla, Neurologist at IBS Hospital, Delhi says. Dr Chawla says that there is no 'correct' way to bathe. "For instance, some people believe that stepping directly under a shower or pouring water straight onto the head causes a sudden temperature change that leads to stroke, paralysis, or brain hemorrhage. However, these claims are completely unfounded and have no scientific support."