The Cold Drinks In Summer Myth You Should Stop Believing
Even though summer is almost over, there are plenty of warm days left to enjoy your favorite frozen cocktails or homemade seasonal popsicles. But do these refreshments actually cool you down? All of us know the benefits of drinking enough water. Not only is water key in keeping your body hydrated, but drinking enough H2O prevents constipation and helps move along the digestive process among a slew of other health benefits (per Harvard Health Publishing).
Water aside, though, what actually helps decrease your body's internal temperature when you're at risk of overheating? According to Time, staying safe in hot weather by wearing UV-protected clothing helps. But there are also ways to cool down fast, such as soaking your clothes in water and misting yourself to stimulate "convective cooling" on the surface of the skin.
When it comes to knowing the truth about what's helpful or good for your body, there can be a lot of misinformation spreading. And one thing is for sure: Many outrageous food myths exist in the world. (There was probably a time you thought it took seven years for your body to digest a piece of gum.) You might have heard that drinking cold beverages helps cool you down, but research shows there may not be much truth to that notion after all.
Cold drinks don't lower your internal body temperature
According to Peter Poortvliet, post-doctoral Research Fellow in Neuroscience at the University of Queensland, explained to The Conversation, cold drinks may cool your body down, but it only happens temporarily as the liquids quickly become "warmed up by surrounding organs." Not only that, but if you're trying to stay cool by drinking one of the many popular soft drinks available in the world, be aware that your body's metabolism will activate with high sugar consumption, which actually causes your body's internal temperature to rise, per The Conversation.
Based on one 2013 study, most people believe cold foods and drinks are actually cooling their bodies based on the pleasant sensation these cold foods only give to their mouths. While cold sustenance may not be decreasing your internal body temperature, if inner-cooling is what you're after, focus your energy on hydration.
University of Pennsylvania nephrologist Dr. Dan Negoianu explained to The New York Times that "being hydrated simply means consuming enough fluids to the point when you're not thirsty." While drinking enough fluid helps, consuming water-rich fruits and vegetables and sipping on warm savory water-rich soups can also help your body achieve proper hydration (per The New York Times). If you're looking for a different way to cool off, spicy foods ignite your body's sweat response, which has been known to cool the surface of your skin as well.