00:00What happens to our body living in the coldest city on Earth, where winter temperatures can
00:06plumb to minus 64 degrees and a thick fog obscures the sun for most of the year?
00:11This is not a scene from a science fiction movie, but the reality of living in Yakutsk.
00:19I was born and grew up in Yakutsk. Yakutsk is the capital city of the Saha Republic
00:24in the far northeast part of Siberia. The average temperature in January hits minus 50 degrees,
00:31yet in Yakutsk life doesn't stop. We still go outside, go to school and work.
00:38Getting frostbite on hypothermia in Yakutia is almost as common as the cold itself.
00:43I often end up with mild frostbite, especially on exposed parts like my nose and cheeks.
00:49The moment I feel numbness, I often rush to a warm place like a mall or a heated bus station.
00:55But the tricky part about frostbite is that many don't realize they have it,
00:59because it numbs the nerves, causing damage without immediate pain.
01:04In Yakutia, we take this issue seriously and have specialized hospitals. Every year,
01:10thousands of people get help from doctors who know how to handle even the worst frostbite.
01:15Many of those who suffer from severe frostbite, risking the loss of fingers or limbs, are often
01:21homeless people. Surviving in such harsh conditions is nearly impossible, so the government builds more
01:28shelters to provide warmth and protection for the homeless. Another reason people get severe
01:33frostbite is because Yakutia is so big, covering over 3 million square kilometers, which is almost the
01:40same as the size of India. Traveling between villages can take up to 48 hours, and such cold car batteries
01:48can freeze, leaving travelers stuck in the taiga forest, which can be fatal. Sadly, every year about
01:56hundreds of people freeze to death in Yakutia. Vitamin deficiency, especially vitamin D, is also a
02:04significant concern in Yakutia due to our extreme climate and limited exposure of sunlight during
02:11the long winter months. As you might know, vitamin D is crucial for our bone health, our immune function,
02:18and overall well-being. I've been dealing with vitamin D and anemia for as long as I can remember.
02:23I recently finished my vitamin D and iron pills, and I wanted to see if they actually helped. And this time,
02:29I also wanted to take my sister to do the medical checkup, so we went to the hospital together.
02:36Our healthcare system here is quite good. It operates on a universal healthcare model,
02:41supported by government-funded compulsory medical insurance. This ensures that every citizen and
02:47resident has access to a free basic healthcare services. I belong to a private clinic that accepts
02:53compulsory medical insurance, providing a blend of public and private care. While consultation
02:59with doctors are free, some tests do require a fee, although is not usually high. Getting a blood
03:06biochemistry and vitamin D tests only cost me $90. The insurance covers a wide range of essential
03:13services such as emergency care, hospital stays, diagnostic procedures, disease treatment, and maternity care.
03:22While we wait for our results, let's talk about another common issue here, and it's a seasonal
03:27affective disorder. In winter, the lack of sunlight and the constant cold can really get you down.
03:33It's tough to even step outside when you need to bundle up in hundreds of layers, so we spent quite
03:39a lot of time indoors. But staying indoors all the time can make you really feel tired, sleepy, and I can
03:45feel how my mood is dropping. Finding help for mental health is not easy in Yakutia, especially in the remote
03:51areas. But even in Yakutsk, I don't really know where to go to see a therapist, and not many people
03:57here are used to the idea of talking to a therapist. That's why I've been using BetterHelp, and it's been
04:02a huge help to connect to a therapist online, and this is a paid partnership with BetterHelp. I've been
04:08in therapy for more than one year already, and having a therapy session has helped me understand myself
04:14better and explaining the reasons behind my feelings. What I also love about BetterHelp is the
04:20convenience it offers. I don't need to travel to see my therapist, and I can have a therapy sessions
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05:06The extreme cold in Yakutia can also cause health problems like infertility. Dressing warmly is crucial,
05:13but some teenagers choose style over warmth, risking their health and future fertility due to the cold
05:20affecting their internal organs. Infertility here can also arise from vitamin deficiencies,
05:27often because we don't get enough vitamins from our diet, especially vegetables.
05:33Having a baby can be challenging, but the government offers strong support for families. Giving birth is free,
05:39a new mom can stay in the hospital for up to a week to recover. They also get a generous maternity leave
05:46of up to 140 days with paid plus additional unpaid up to 3 years with job protection. Plus the government
05:54provides a monthly allowance which is about 40% of the mom's salary until baby is one and a half years old.
06:02And for each child, families receive financial support of $9,000 for the first child and $2,800 for each
06:12additional child. In Yakutia, the freezing air can also really stress your breathing. And it's also
06:19the most common health problem we face. So during the really cold days here, we often cover our face
06:25completely and it's not only protect our skin, but it also protects our lungs. And I also heard many times
06:31from the newcomers who came to visit Yakutia for the first time how the air in Yakutia is difficult to breathe.
06:39Recent studies have also shown that we in Yakutia tend to age faster. While cryotherapy is known for its
06:46health benefits, including slowing down aging, our situation is more complex. Research has found that
06:53our long-term adaptation to the harsh climate leads to us biologically aging three to four years faster
07:01than Caucasians. This accelerated aging is believed to be due to our increased metabolic rate as our bodies
07:08work harder to generate the energy needed for the warmth. It's a very interesting studies because I always
07:14thought that living in Yakutia is slowing down our aging. And I'm wondering what do you think about my age?
07:21You can write down your guess in the comments. And if you guess my age, I will give a like. So let's go back to
07:28the day when we received our test analysis and let's see how everything turned out.
07:33So we have got our analysis. Our vitamin D is pretty low. Mine is a bit higher than Diana. Diana's is like 27.5 and the minimum is 30, but mine is
08:0238.9.
08:06So thank you so much for watching. Be healthy and I hope you enjoyed this video and see you in the next video. Bye.
08:24See you in the next video. Bye!
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