Drinking hot liquids on a scorching hot day sounds pretty counterintuitive. But hot beverages (tea included) can help cool our bodies down in hot weather. This practice has been observed for generations all over the world. In China, India, and beyond, people drink hot tea in sweltering climates. It is said that the hot liquid on our tongues triggers our internal cooling systems to cool the body down. We do this through sweating and other bodily mechanisms.
According to a study conducted by the University of Ottawa’s School of Human Kinetics, our body heat storage decreases when we ingest warm liquids. This is due to disproportionate modulations in sweat output from warm-sensitive thermosensors in our tongue, throat, and stomach. The caveat is that our bodies need to be able to evaporate the increased amount of sweat produced. So, in humid or wet climates, our bodies are much less able to do so.
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