John Myers
When the temperature is high, many people instinctively reach for cold drinks. They promise refreshment and cooling off. Instinct is deceptive in this case: warm drinks cool the body more effectively than cold ones. Also, they don’t hit the stomach that much.
Most people find a sip of cold water more refreshing at first. As a result, however, the blood vessels contract. The body must first warm up the icy liquid before it can get into the blood. This exertion causes you to sweat more. This is not recommended, especially in summer when the outside temperatures are high, as the body then loses some of the fluid that it should actually be supplied with.
Warm drinks, on the other hand, cause the blood vessels to dilate and the liquid can be better absorbed by the blood. You can compensate for the loss of fluids caused by the summer temperatures more efficiently. Warm or hot tea also makes you sweat, but not as much as cold drinks do. At the same time, light sweating helps to cool the body down when the outside temperatures are high, without putting a strain on the circulation.
Very cold drinks are also not recommended because they irritate the stomach and can lead to problems such as abdominal pain or diarrhea. The symptoms are caused by rapid emptying of the stomach because cold drinks are transferred more quickly from the stomach to the intestines.
The daily fluid requirement is at least 1.5 liters. At high temperatures or when exercising, the required amount can double. In order to save calories, water, and unsweetened fruit, and herbal teas are particularly recommended – they can also be refreshingly warm in summer.
