Hot tea in hot weather, sense or nonsense?
My mother always said: when the weather is warm, you should drink something warm. Better to have a cup of herbal tea than a glass of soft drink with ice cubes, because hot drinks cool you down more. Is that true?
We mainly cool down through sweat on the skin. That’s why everyone has been sticking to their car seats and patio tables over the past few weeks, because at such high temperatures your skin becomes wet and sticky. The idea is for that sweat to evaporate, which cools you down a little. It doesn’t always feel as though it works, but in practice it works pretty well. Whether you’re walking in freezing cold or baking on the beach, your body stays roughly the same temperature because your skin regulates the whole thing.
Hot chocolate, anyone?
When it’s so muggy and hot, you want to give your skin a helping hand. A cold shower—that cools you down nicely. Wrong: the cold water reduces blood flow to your skin, making it harder for you to get rid of heat. A lukewarm shower is better. And the same applies to hot drinks. Hot chocolate is a little odd, but a cup of hot tea makes you sweat more, which cools you down.
Mother knows best
Good to know: this only works if you take it easy. If you’ve just been for a run or played a game of tennis, you shouldn’t start drinking hot tea. Iced tea then, perhaps? And during the next heatwave: take it easy, shower lukewarm and drink hot tea. Thanks for the tip, Mom!
