Sitting at home shivering may not seem like a recipe for health and happiness.

But scientists have found that people with Type 2 diabetes can improve their condition simply by turning the heating down.

Most houses in the winter are heated to around 21C but researchers at Maastricht University Medical Centre, in The Netherlands, advise turning the thermostat down to between 15C and 19C for a few hours a day.

When a group of type 2 diabetics were asked to make the change for 10 days, it increased insulin sensitivity by more than 40 per cent, a result comparable with the best medicines that are currently available.

The authors suggest that temperatures in modern buildings, such as homes and offices, should shift between warm and cool through the day in order to support health.

"It has previously been assumed that stable fixed indoor temperatures would satisfy comfort and health in most people,” said Wouter van Marken Lichtenbelt, Professor of Ecological Energetics and Health at Maastricht.

“However, this research indicates that mild cold and variable temperatures may have a positive effect on our health and at the same time are acceptable or even may create pleasure."