Summer is THE season when you have to be particularly careful to stay hydrated. Obviously, this does not mean that you should not drink water during other times of the year, only, with this very strong heat, it is essential to drink regularly, throughout the day. During this heat wave – not easy to live with – we tend to rush on ice cold drinks, just to cool off. However, drinking ice cold would not be the best solution, far from it!
Drinking an iced beverage can seem very refreshing at first. It's so pleasant that you immediately feel quenched... But all that would be just an illusion. Our mouth and throat contain cells that have the role of warning the brain (more precisely the hypothalamus) about the state of hydration of our body. Therefore, if our body is dehydrated, said cells will send this information to the brain which, in turn, will trigger the feeling of thirst. But by drinking ice cold, the cold will anesthetize the cells which will no longer be able to do their job properly, nor transmit the right message to the hypothalamus, explains dietician Paule Neyrat. This is why, at the time, we have the distinct feeling of being quenched. Problem:we stop drinking when our body still needs water. In short, drinking iced would promote dehydration, without you even being able to realize it. Oops…
As a result, we prefer drinks just fresh as it should be! And in times of heat wave we banish coffee, tea and other alcohols, which also promote dehydration.
