Why Drinking Hot Drinks in Summer is Good For You

When the thermometer rises above 86°F/30°C the only thing you want is a cold drink to try to cool down. You will be surprised to discover that this is not the best way to do it: according to science, in fact, for some precise biological mechanisms the most effective way to fight the heat is to drink hot drinks. Does it seem strange to you? Think about the Bedouin tradition of drinking hot tea even in the middle of the desert. Their habit is not only a question of culture but a truly effective method to quench your thirst and fight excessive temperatures.

Why is It Better to Drink Hot Drinks in Summer?

Drinking hot drinks in the summer to feel better is not just a rumor but a fact proven by science. The explanation is much simpler than you think: when it's hot, body temperature increases and the way the body has to fight this phenomenon is to sweat. If you think about it, even when you have a fever the suggestion is to sweat to lower the temperature. This is because through sweat, which evaporates from the skin, heat also leaves the body (along with toxins) and the temperature automatically decreases.

When you drink a cold or even iced beverage, the relief you feel is only temporary because you are not giving off heat, you are only cooling your body. But since this increases the difference between your temperature and the outside temperature, after a while you will feel even hotter. With hot beverages, however, the initial heat you feel is transformed into sweat, which evaporates from the skin allowing your body to cool down.

With the hot drink, in short, the body releases heat to the environment and therefore you will not have temporary but prolonged relief. It is no coincidence that the populations of the desert, in particular the Tuareg nomads, are accustomed to consuming very hot tea despite the place where they live having a particularly boiling climate.

This Tuareg habit works well because the desert is a very dry environment. In fact, the hot drinks tactic does not work if you are in a very humid climate: in this case, in fact, the heat exchange in the air through sweat does not occur, so the sweat does not evaporate and you would end up feeling hotter than before.

The Best Hot Drinks for Summer

Not all hot drinks are useful for this process of cooling the body and once again the Tuareg explain why. As you may know, the nomadic people drink mostly tea, a ceremony that has become a real traditional ritual. But why tea?

The choice is not accidental: thanks to its composition, in fact, it causes the dilation of the superficial blood vessels, which then release heat more easily through the skin. On the contrary, other types of hot drinks, such as coffee or milk, do not cause this effect and therefore have no effect on the regulation of body temperature.

If you want to experience the effectiveness of drinking hot drinks in summer, then, choose your favorite type of tea, or choose an infusion based on fruit and vegetables or even a herbal tea, even better if draining which also promotes the elimination of excess liquids.