The temperature of food and drinks affects the psyche and digestion

The study involved more than 400 adult Americans of Asian and European descent. The analysis showed noticeable differences:

• In Asian participants, a high frequency of drinking cold drinks in the summer was associated with increased anxiety, sleep disorders, and a feeling of fullness in the stomach.;
• In Western participants, on the contrary, the consumption of hot drinks in winter was associated with less depression, better sleep and reduced digestive problems.

This is the first study in the United States that directly links the temperature of consumed foods with the state of the psyche and digestive tract. The findings help explain the increasing rates of anxiety, insomnia, and gastrointestinal disorders.

The analysis of subgroups turned out to be particularly interesting.:

• Chinese participants who traditionally drink fewer cold drinks had fewer negative effects.;
• Indians, on the other hand, showed a more pronounced relationship between cold drinks and poor health.

Western dietetics rarely pays attention to the temperature of food, but in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, this factor is considered key. New data scientifically confirms these centuries-old observations.

The scientists plan to expand the research: to track the long-term effects and study vulnerable groups, such as the elderly or people with circulatory disorders (frequent feeling of cold hands).

“The temperature of what we eat and drink is a simple and often underestimated habit that can have a real impact on health,” said Tianying Wu, associate professor of epidemiology at SDSU and lead author of the study.