Do You Usually Go for An Iced Coffee in the Summer?
It’s no surprise that most of us go for a cold cup of brew when it is scorching hot outside. They keep us feeling refreshed and cool, or do they? A study has shown that drinking a hot coffee on a hot day can actually cool you down.
A few years ago, Dr. György Buzsáki, Professor of Neuroscience at New York University School of Medicine was hitchhiking through Turkey when he found himself struggling from the heat. A merchant saw him and invited him for a drink. Buzsáki expected an iced cold beverage but instead, the merchant offered him hot Turkish coffee. And to his surprise, he felt that the heat was more tolerable and definitely cooled him down.
So, How Does This Work?
Sure, a hot beverage will increase your body temperature, but it is how your body reacts to the heat that makes you feel more chill and refreshed. According to Professor Peter McNaughton of Neuroscience at University of Cambridge, this increase in body heat makes you sweat more. Essentially, the receptors in your mouth and throat send a signal to your brain to produce more sweat. When the sweat evaporates from your skin, it releases the heat from your body and as a result, it will maintain your body temperature and cools your body down.
Interestingly enough, when you consume cold beverages on a hot day, this tightens your blood vessels and actually makes you feel much hotter than cooler. McNaughton further says that cold beverages only cools you down for a short amount of time. This is because the volume of the cold beverage is small in comparison to your body, therefore the cooling effect rapidly decreases.
So, maybe the next time you want something to cool you down on a hot day, why not try and drink hot Turkish coffee?
