Is it true that … having a hot drink will cool you down?
Scientific research suggests that drinking hot beverages to cool down is only effective in specific environments where sweat can evaporate efficiently. In humid or poorly ventilated areas, hot drinks may actually increase body temperature rather than lower it.
Why it matters
Understanding the physiological response to temperature helps people make better health decisions during extreme heat waves.
0 Could a warm cup of tea really be the key to cooling down in hot weather? Or is that just something caffeine fiends tell themselves when they’re still working through a pot of coffee as the temperature hits 30C?
Prof John Tregoning, the author of Live Forever? A Curious Scientist’s Guide to Wellness, Ageing and Death, says it depends on the circumstances. He points to the work of Australian scientist Prof Ollie Jay, who is a world leader in researching heat and how it balances out in your body.
When it comes to drinking a hot beverage, there are two effects on your body. “You’ve got the heat that the drink gives you, and then the amount that you sweat as a result of it,” Tregoning says.
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