As the warm weather continues, many of us are doing everything we can to stay cool and safe. From closing the curtains and sitting in the shade to keeping hydrated and reaching for a well-deserved ice-lolly, we try various methods. But the last thing on many minds is popping the kettle on and making a piping hot drink. Surprisingly, hot drinks such as teas and coffees could actually help cool you down.
The Science Behind Hot Drinks and Cooling
A 2012 study by researchers from the University of Ottawa examined the effect of drinking hot drinks on body temperature. The results revealed that a hot drink can indeed cool you down. Dr. Ollie Jay, one of the authors of the study, explained to the Smithsonian Magazine: "If you drink a hot drink, it does result in a lower amount of heat stored inside your body, provided the additional sweat that's produced when you drink the hot drink can evaporate."
Essentially, when you consume a hot drink, you start sweating more. If the sweat is able to evaporate, it actually cools you down, more than compensating for the added heat to the body from the fluid. While sweating can be embarrassing, it is an essential bodily function to help keep us cool. As the sweat evaporates from the surface of your skin, it removes excess heat by converting the water from a liquid to a vapor.
When Hot Drinks Are Less Effective
However, in humid conditions, this cooling effect is less effective, so drinking hot drinks won't help you cool down. Dr. Jay explained: "On a very hot and humid day, if you're wearing a lot of clothing, or if you're having so much sweat that it starts to drip on the ground and doesn't evaporate from the skin's surface, then drinking a hot drink is a bad thing. The hot drink still does add a little heat to the body, so if the sweat's not going to assist in evaporation, go for a cold drink."
Overall, the lesson is that in hot, dry conditions, drinking hot drinks will cool you down. But if you are in a humid location, it is best to stick to cold beverages.
