By Kumar Da | Hopium Health
“Come over and I’ll make you meatball soup.”
That’s what Annem always says. Not a suggestion. A directive, disguised as love.
She’s not technically my grandmother. But she’s Aynur’s mother, and in Turkey, when someone feeds you with that kind of urgency, they’re family.
And when Annem says, “Don’t go out in the rain or you’ll catch cold,”
she means it in the way all grandmothers mean it. With centuries of instinct and just enough side-eye to shame you into compliance.
The Worldwide Grandmother Weather Advisory
It doesn’t matter what country you’re in:
- Italian nonnas: “The draft will kill you.”
- Indian nanis and dadis: “Wear a vest or God help you.”
- Turkish annems: “This wind is not normal today.”
- Japanese obaachans: (Wordlessly hands you a scarf and soup, then closes the window.)
They are different women, speaking different languages, using different soup bases.
But they all believe one thing: bad weather = you’re getting sick.
And you know what?
They might not be wrong.
So… Does Cold Weather Actually Make You Sick?
Technically? No.
Colds and flu come from viruses. Not clouds.
But practically? The weather can absolutely help those viruses win.
Here’s how:
- Dry, cold air dries out your nose and throat, weakening your body’s defenses.
- You stay indoors more, packed with other people (and their germs).
- Your nose’s ability to trap viruses drops by up to 50% in chilly temps.
- And stress from temperature shifts? Yep—it suppresses your immune system.
So while rain isn’t the cause, it sets the stage.
Like fog before a ghost shows up in a movie.
What Grandmothers Got Right
Turns out, Annem—and nonna, nani, dadi, and obaachan—were working with ancient biometric data.
They didn’t need studies or sensors. They just watched:
- Who got sick
- What they ate
- And what made people feel better again
That’s why every culture has its version of:
- Soup
- Tea
- A firm warning not to let your hair stay wet too long
They weren’t paranoid. They were observing generations of weather-induced consequences—and prescribing chicken broth and extra layers before “immune resilience” became a buzzword.
So What Should You Actually Do?
- Wear the scarf. Wind chill affects mucous membranes, even if it doesn’t “cause” illness.
- Drink something warm. It hydrates, soothes, and signals the brain to calm down.
- Stay dry. Wet clothes + wind + stress = open invitation to trouble.
- Rest when your body asks. It’s not weakness—it’s wisdom.
- And if Annem offers soup? You sit down and accept it.
Bottom Line: Believe the Grandmothers
We have modern medicine now. We have thermometers and weather apps and wearable devices.
But deep down, we know:
The best health advice still sounds like it came from someone in a floral housecoat with slippers.
So this season, be smart. Be warm. Sip slowly.
And if you’re lucky enough to have a grandmother—or someone grandmother-adjacent—listen to her.
She might not know the mechanism.
But she absolutely knows the outcome.
— Kumar Da & the Hopium Health Global Grandmother Appreciation Society
