The English do it. Arabs do it. Indians do it. They drink hot tea on a hot day. Why are they doing so and whether they are right?!
There are scientific studies that show that people should drink hot drinks on a hot day, and not a glass of ice juice as we all do.
The neuroscientist Peter McNaughton from the University of Cambridge claims that the consumption of beverages such as hot tea or water will increase internal body temperature, which will cause excessive sweating. Nerves will thus stimulate the brain to increase perspiration, and as sweat is secreted onto the surface of the skin, where will effectively cool the body as it evaporates.
“Sweating will start or intensify, if the person is already hot,” explains Dr. Christopher Gordon from the University of Sydney who is a specialist in thermoregulation in humans.
“Although people are often hot when drinking hot beverages, as soon as they start sweating, they will be better because they will cool off,” says Gordon.
Sweat glands are situated in the dermis of the skin. Most of them are in the head, arm and lower leg area. Sweating is of great importance for proper body function.
“When is hot we sweat, our internal temperature will increase, and it takes only a few degrees more and it can result in brain damage or death,” explains Professor Peter McNaughton.
McNaughton recommends when you are hot, instead of reaching for the ice-cold fizzy drinks or artificially sweetened fruit juice “drink a cup of nice hot tea, because it has no side- effects”, as opposed to large doses of caffeine .
“Eat spicy food, hot peppers, for example, because their active ingredient, capsaicin acts on the same receptors in your mouth or in the upper part of the digestive tract that react to heat and cause sweating,” advises Peter McNaugton.
Therefore we should not be surprised that people living in hot climates, in Asia, India or South America consume spicier rather than “refreshing” foods such as watermelon or different ice products.
“Cold drinks will cool you off only at the moment,” says McNaughton, “because the volume of cold beverage is relatively small in comparison with the human body, and the cooling effect quickly disappears.”
“There is a limit to how much a person can drink liquid because it would otherwise lead to kidney failure. So in any case you should not drink too much, “warns the doctor.
