In the summer heat
Why warm tea helps better than ice-cold cola in hot temperatures
In hot temperatures, it is better to drink warm tea than ice-cold soda
© Katerina Solovyeva / Picture Alliance
In the summer heat, you quickly reach for an ice-cold soda. Doctors, however, recommend warm drinks. A lukewarm shower may also help you cool down more than cold water.
When the thermometer climbs above the 30-degree mark, we tend to long for a cool down. Reaching for an ice-cold soda is just as tempting as an ice-cold shower. However, neither is advisable, even in high heat.
Ice-cold drinks increase body heat
Because ice-cold drinks provide spontaneous refreshment, but put a lot more strain on the body than warm ones. Because the organism has to expend a lot of energy to regulate the temperature. As a result, we sweat even more, according to the emergency physicians at the Asklepios clinics in a press release. As a result, the body burns additional calories – with the effect that additional body heat is also generated. Extremely cold drinks can also lead to stomach problems and discomfort, it is said. That’s why doctors recommend warm peppermint tea rather than ice-cold cola. This can refresh and also dilate the blood vessels in the stomach and intestines. The tea gets into the blood better and faster than cold drinks.
Nevertheless, you should drink enough at high temperatures to compensate for the loss of fluids through sweating. It is also important not to drink too much at once. The body can only absorb between 500 and 800 milliliters of liquid per hour and use it sensibly. Doctors therefore recommend drinking regularly – for example a glass of water every hour – rather than consuming too large amounts at once, even if you don’t feel thirsty. Alcohol or coffee should be avoided, instead, as mentioned, you should drink (mineral) water or peppermint or herbal tea.
Lukewarm shower water helps the body to cool down
Even if the water does not run into your body but over it in the shower, it is advisable to turn the regulator to lukewarm rather than ice cold. Cold water tells the body to warm up. It also constricts the blood vessels so that the body cannot release stored heat as quickly. Lukewarm water, on the other hand, tends to help the body to reduce the temperature a little, even in hot weather. That’s why a lukewarm shower can also help you fall asleep on hot nights.