Health Are cold foods and drinks useful in the current summer heat?

Why cooling off with a delicious ice cream is not a good idea

In Germany, temperatures of almost 40 degrees Celsius are currently reached in some places. Cooling is urgently needed. Many cool their drinks with ice cubes or treat themselves to a delicious ice cream. But even if such drinks and food are cold, they can be counterproductive when it comes to cooling. An expert explains why.

Calorie goodies in the summer

On a hot summer's day there is hardly anything more refreshing than delicious ice cream. However, health experts advise against overconsumption, as ice cream is one of the typical calorie traps in summer. However, not all varieties are calorie bombs. Ice cream is not really good for cooling anyway. Why this is so, explains an expert from Austria.

With a delicious ice cream or cold drinks, the current high temperatures can be better tolerated, but in the long term they are rather counterproductive when it comes to cooling. (Image: Kalim / fotolia.com)

Cooled drinks and a delicious ice cream

Ice cubes in the drink and / or another scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream: this is how many people make the hot days of the sweaty heat wave bearable.

But what effect do these forms of cooling in the human organism actually?

Assoz.-Prof.in PdinMag.a Dr. Sandra Holasek from the Department of Immunology and Pathophysiology at the Otto Loewi Research Center of the (Medical University) MedUni Graz has presented the answers and some heat tips.

Slowed drinking behavior

In the summer, most people like to spend their time outdoors. However, the heat itself and especially physical activity at high temperatures mean stress for the body.

With an ice cream as a dessert and three, four ice cubes in the glass, high temperatures can endure much better.

"In general, when we drink less than 22 degrees, we feel better, so we feel the need to consume only chilled drinks," says the nutrition expert.

"If we cool the drinks even more with ice cubes even more, our drinking behavior is automatically slowed down. So you're drinking less liquid overall because the drink is too cold for the body, "explains Holasek.

Refreshing effect only lasts for a short time

However, especially in the summer, when the body dehydrates more easily and thus relies even more on sufficient fluid, that is problematic.

Too much of the good is therefore counterproductive in terms of cooling off, according to the expert. This also applies to the enjoyment of ice lollipops, ice cream and co.

Because these sweet temptations give us the longed-for cooling and act acutely in addition by the sugar content performance enhancing and thus "refreshing", this effect, however, only briefly.

"The oral cavity of humans is a checkpoint, here is a lot going on. Even before we swallow the ice, signals are transmitted to the brain via taste and thermoreceptors, "explains Holasek.

"This is how a chilled food not only signals a subjective perception of" freshness "from our taste archive, but also physiologically measurably cools the head area and we find that pleasant", the nutrition expert describes the process.

Headache due to hasty ice consumption

And those who have exaggerated the heat before and the ice has eaten too fast, may also know the typical cold-headache, the so-called "brain freeze".

"Each of us knows this, because of the rapid consumption of cold food and drinks there is an increased blood flow in the head area and the vessels expand. This is also the reason for the so-called cold headache, "explains Sandra Holasek.

So with cool refreshments rather leave more time and enjoy the refreshing ice in peace.

Drink a lot especially in the summer

Most importantly, getting fit through the heatwave is the daily, adequate hydration. This is not only true, but especially in the summer.

"Most importantly, despite being distracted by the various activities, we do not overlook our thirst, or forget to keep drinking. Ideally, the first thing in the morning is to start drinking a glass of liquid, "says the expert.

Afterwards you should drink glass by glass over the whole day. A gap in the hydration should be avoided, as one then tends to want to fill them too quickly at once.

"Drinking at least two to three liters of not too cold water or spritzed fruit juices throughout the day is the best way to avoid thirst or overheating your body," says Sandra Holasek.

A good tip is also peppermint, fresh in the glass, chilled tea or as chewing gum in between. The menthol it contains also stimulates oropharyngeal cold receptors, facilitates breathing and complements the cooling effect.

Well prepared for a hot summer's day, there's nothing to stop you from enjoying a scoop of ice cream. (Ad)