The Way of the Iceman: How the Wim Hof Method Creates Radiant Long-term Health—Using the Science and Secrets of Breath Control, Cold-Training and Commitment

by Wim Hof

Besides the specific genes that always remain “on” or “off” (so that a liver cell is a liver cell and not a kidney cell), there are also genes that are switched on and off in response to external circumstances, such as social contact, eating, or exercising. So engaging happily in sports or other physical activities sends different signals to our genes than does slouching grumpily on the couch. Of the hundreds of transcription factors, only one is of special interest to us: the nuclear factor kappa b, NF-kB for short. This factor underlies many very important biological processes, including how our immune systems function and how cancer develops. It is widely known that inflammation processes lie at the root of many diseases. NF-kB is a recurring determinant factor in chronic and exhausting inflammatory reactions.