Cool mice live longer
36.5 °C may be the best body temperature for fighting ageing.
It has long been held that the ideal human body temperature is a snug 37 degrees Celsius. Our bodies stick rigidly to it when healthy, and high fevers can be deadly. But a new study suggests that 36.5 °C might be even better.
Read the story here.
Comments
Having my temperature taken one day the nurse took it twice since it was reading 97.3 and he thought it was being effected by something but my body temperature is lower then average. I sweat much more than my friends but still have a lower body temperature with hot hands and feel much more comfortable in the A/C at temperatures others find too cold. I dont know why this is but I am told I look younger than what I am.
Posted by: Kevin Lane | November 3, 2006 11:17 AM
I also seems to have to have a lower body temperature. Around 36,5 C. The problem of course is that you get cold hands and feet.
I almost never get sick but that is maybe more likely due to eating right and sport.
I also sweat *a lot* in the gym. A lot more compared to "everyone" else.
Thanks for your great blogs!
Hans
Posted by: Hans Husman | November 3, 2006 02:30 PM
Lengthening the median lifespan, by any measure, especially 15% or greater, will truly grab the attention of most older baby boomers. Imagine telling an older baby boomer that you can have an extra couple of years to enjoy your granchildren, especially when the biological clock is already ticking and they find themselves getting pretty old. I think they'll do just about anything to extend their lifespan, including donating huge amounts of money to the further exploration of this scientific finding.
"When will this scientific team at The Scripps Research Institute develop a pill to simulate the result in these precious mice?" ..."Never mind the cost."
Posted by: KBrownell | November 3, 2006 11:53 PM
I have been writing about my hypothesis and results on this blog. http://mammals-shed.blogspot.com
Posted by: Paul Cox | November 4, 2006 01:23 AM
This is the best news I've heard for ages. I am 62 years old, had bypass surgery 11 years ago and was retired early due to heart problems. Since childhood Ive known that my normal body temperature is 36.5 degrees so this news compensates for any heart problems. Does anyone know what percentage of the population has a low core body temperature?
Posted by: Graham Levido | November 6, 2006 11:09 PM
My temperature varies from 37 degrees to 34 or lower degrees, mostly sits around 35.6 - the temperature of cancer cells and armadillos, I’m told. Deep breathing and relaxation seem to increase my core body temperature. I suffer from hypothyroid with unusual and contradictory blood test results. I've always looked younger than my peers.
Posted by: Andrea | November 7, 2006 04:20 AM
It will be interesting to see whether hypothermia-inducing drugs such as deoxyglucose have similar effects. Deoxyglucose is a simple compound that might be administered orally, and is currently undergoing Phase I clinical trials for cancer treatment. I do not recommend anyone rush out to try this themselves, since deoxyglucose or any reduction of body temperature might cause changes related to Alzheimer's disease (see Planel, 2004)
Posted by: Mike Serfas | November 8, 2006 04:14 PM
Lots of interesting anecdotal stuff but with a pattern running through it! I am 72, but have great stamina and good strength. I am less flexible but no weaker than I was 25 years ago. My normal temp is around 97F. I sweat much more than everybody around me, and I will be wearing shorts when they are all bundled up. I get lots of excercise, with about half of that swimming - partly because sweating doesn't enter into it. I swim (7-8 miles a week average) against a clock in a lake, using a wet suit in the winter. Sorry this is so long but I think it's all apropos.
One other thing - I started taking resveratrol (longevinex) about 6 months ago, so I am quite keen on staying young and the placebo effect enters into it.
Posted by: Alan Krasberg | November 13, 2006 09:44 PM
I have had a temperature of 96.4 since childhood. My metabolism was so fast in my teen years my heart rate upon waking not moving was 96 beats per minute, always taken by two shocked nurses daily at 6:00AM. I was at hospital for 30 days for this oddity. I have no heart problems and am 56 years old. My endocrinologists believes this maybe the precurser to hypothyroidism and hypogylcemia, which I have.
Posted by: Eve Votrain Martin | November 14, 2006 03:34 PM
30yromale-I have lower body temperature(nurse read 95.7 last month), drink a lot of water, and also sweat a lot. I consider myself to be in perfect health, and my feet sweat constantly unless my mind is blank and unoccupied or I am cold. The skin on my feet is very shiny, maybe from being in moisture so much? Any exersion causes me to sweat. I feel very healthy and exercise often and have no health problems. I do not feel cold all the time. I have no problem regulating my body temperature. This is the first web site I found that described lower body temperature without negative side effects. It seems my lower body temperature fits with this site and not the Wilson syndrome/Thyroid disease sites. I would love more information on this not related to those diseases. Is this a condition with a set of predispositions or just abnormal? The posting that cancer likes it colder is a little distressing, I had cancer.
Posted by: R Stafford | November 18, 2006 02:00 AM
I'm 46, female, in good health. Since I can remmeber my oral temp when not ill has been in the mid 97's. Just saw my doc on Monday and my temp was measured by the nurse as 97.6. I am rarely cold, have always loved winter (grew up in WI and experienced many winter subzero temps, some in the -30's not including windchill). Aside from my partner, I don't like being close to other people because I can feel their warmth. Sometimes the warmth from light bulbs bothers me ! I hate summer and spend little time outdoors in the sun, so I have very little sun damage on skin and am always mistaken for 5 to 10 years younger than I am.
Now to add to my condition, I am perimenopausal and experiencing hot flashes for the first time in my life. Curious, I started measuring my temp. During the hot flashes I have had many measurements in the 96's.
I am not having a hot flash now, the room temp is 61 (yes, 61, I haven't turned up the heat yet since coming home tonight), I'm cool but not cold, and I just measured my temp and it's 96.8. I am careful when I take my temp using oral digital thermometer to have the bulb well under my tongue, tongue pressed firmly down around it, mouth closed, no hot or cold drinks or food beforehand.
My boyfriend also loves cold and hates being hot. He has an even greater tolerance for cold than I do. He is very muscular and very healthy. His normal temp is 98.0.
I find this topic fascinating ! Love reading the other comments !
Posted by: Sandra Diaz | January 25, 2007 04:42 AM
I also have a low body temperature 96.4. I have M.S. but have great stamina when well. I also have a fast heart rate a lot of times. People have told me I look 10 to 15 years younger than I am. I have also needed to sleep all my life with my feet out of the covers to stay cool. I am also going to go to the doctor for hypothyroidism check cause I have other symptoms for that.
Posted by: Rozanne C | February 13, 2007 02:15 AM
I just measured my body temperature during a hot flash as well (95.5). So what 's going on during a hot flash, your body suddenly thinks it needs to be a lot colder? Its an hour later now and its back up to 96.4, which is still kind of low.
Posted by: Ruth Ramerize | February 23, 2007 05:21 PM
Wow -- I can't believe I've found other people with the same symptoms! Since early adulthood, I've gotten sweaty at the slightest exertion. I also feel hot most of the time - even in winter - and go about in short sleeves when everyone around me is bundled up like a snowman. (I get a lot of funny looks.) Today, I discovered that my body temperature is 96.4.
There may be a connection. I don't know of any ways to alleviate the discomfort... except for drinking cold liquids, keeping the windows open, and dressing for summer all year round.
Posted by: Claire | April 16, 2007 07:21 PM
FEELING VERY TIRED THE OTHER DAY RETURNING FROM A TRIP I DECIDED TO TAKE MY TEMP BECAUSE I HAD CHILLS....95.6.
OF COURSE I HAVE BEEN FEELING TIRED AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER....WAKING UP IN THE MORNING, TAKING AN HOUR OR SO TO GET MY BLOOD MOVING.....ANYWAY WHAT I FOUND OUT YESTERDAY.."THE HIGHER MY TEMP. WENT UP THE LESS TIRED I FELT"......I'VE ALWAYS HAD A BELOW NORMAL TEMP...BUT AT THIS TIME I BELIEVE IT'S IN RELATION TO FEELING TIRED ALL THE TIME......THANKS RUTH
Posted by: RUTH MARKILLIE | June 1, 2007 08:54 PM
It's reassuring to read that others with low body temps feel too hot all the time. For me, it's gone too far. My body temp used to be 96.4 consistently. In the past 2 years, it's aywhere from 97.1 to 99.1; At 97.1, with the AC at 67 degrees, I often have to strip down to nothing but am still miserably hot. I can't sleep or eat (makes me nauseous). I feel like I have a fever all the time. I'm 5'8, 105 pounds--used to be 125. I can't take this much longer. I don't have perimenopause, a thyroid problem or Graves. I think my hypothalamus is damaged (based on the no appetite, funky body temp,unexplained dyskenisia, and now partial complex seizures with total memory loss)-- but I have no proof. The MDs ignore this problem (it's an HMO). Can someone suggest ANYTHING before I shoot myself from sheer misery? Seriously, I am DESPERATE.
Posted by: K M WEBER | August 22, 2007 09:09 PM
My body temp's run from 95.6 to 97.2. Most of the time I feel fine, but at night I feel cold,close to the shivers. I do not sweat, or seem to have other problems other than diabetes, my thyroid was normal. What in the world could this be? I have been this way for years.
Posted by: celesta cook | September 9, 2007 04:39 AM
I also found this amusing as I just logged on to Google "always feel too hot" without regard to body temperature and then started reading these posts. My core temp has been low for as long as I've been paying attention to it...which has been two or three years now. I would always feel like crap and swear I had a fever.....but nooooooo, 96.1 - give me a break I often thought. It's nice to find there are lots of us around and I will be very interested to continue reading about this.
Posted by: Lou Cherniss | November 20, 2007 03:34 PM
I haven't investigated enough to see what this blog is all about. I was searching on low body temperature and always being hot and found this page. I lived in Texas my whole life and have just been miserably hot most of the time. I just moved to NY. I've been bragging that it hadn't gotten too cold for me yet. This is the first time I've taken a moment to do a little research on this and that is because of today.
I worked hard outside all day today. In about 10 min. the thermal shirt came off and was down to a sweatshirt. No jacket. Even then I was a warm. My toes were freezing though!
I checked and it was 19 out. 19 in a sweatshirt! I'm about 120 lbs and 5'8" so I'm not heavy. I've always wondered why my body temp is always so low and I'm always so warm. I know in the past when I've felt sick and feverish, my temp still may be slightly below or right at normal.
I'm very healthy and rarely get sick. I can't even remember the last time I had a cold or the flu. I think 2 years ago I went to the Dr for a severe case of poison ivy and that's been about it. I do get tired more than I like though. I have pretty good energy during the day, but I need a solid 8-10 hours of sleep a night. In the evenings I can get extremely tired.
I don't like any sort of weight of another person or their heat on or near me. I'm not very nice to snuggle with :-) My BF loves to snuggle and I'll let him come on over but I'm just counting the minutes till I can kick him off. After about 5 minutes I say "OK" and he knows it's time to find his own corner of the bed.
I'm going to see if there's more info here, I can't believe I found people just like me.
Thanks for all your posts.
Posted by: Jamie | December 1, 2007 11:07 PM
Add another one to the list! I have always felt hot, with palms that just exude heat, but lately I've been keeping my temperature for a vaccine study, and I was surprised to find it is always in the low 97s. I'm curious, though - if this is indeed metabolically related, in terms of weight, is everyone here generally thin?
Posted by: Peter | December 24, 2007 10:52 PM
I can't believe their are other people like me! EVry time i ask my dr about thyroid she tells me my blood test is normal. I always have a temperature of 96.8 and am always always hot..thats why i never worried about thyroid because the dr usually asks are you cold. I never buy a winter jacket, i sleep with my feet out of the covers, i hate socks and my husband is lso banished to the other side of the bed.
Posted by: karas | December 27, 2007 03:34 AM
This is fascinating. I never thought of googling "low body temperature" til tonight. I am a guy. I have always had low body temperature 96F average. Lately, (tonight for example) I have 95.6F temperature. The lowest in the last three days from my 96F average. I have been following my temperature for two decades (I am 34). I am always hot. It can be snowing and I am walking down the street with my coat open, no sweater and sweating. I can be shoveling snow at 15F (windchill factor -10F) wearing a Tshirt and a light jacket and I was sweating. I know it is cold outside when I see people bundled up like if it was cold. I go out running with tight shirt and leggings in the 20s with 10s wind-chill and I come back home sweating like it was summer. I am always hot and my feet get cold. I always feel great between 60 and 65F. Low temperature and cancer? I had cancer 10 years ago. Always hot? There is so much time that my boyfriend can cuddle with me before he feels too hot to be even near me. I always feel people and objects heat without touching. People always think that I am between 25 to 28 years old. I drink tons of water. I am perfectly healthy and rarely go to the doctor. I work out at the gym 3 times per week. I run an average of 9 miles per week. After reading this blog I don't feel like a freak any more :-)
Posted by: Ariel | December 27, 2007 05:23 AM