Summer heat can be intense and exhausting, but it can also be nourishing and refreshing. People reach for cold drinks to cool down and get some sun protection. Not entirely. According to research, hot tea in summer has a stronger cooling effect than cold teas.

Hot Tea in Summer: Health Benefits

In a 2012 study, researchers sought to determine if body heat storage would decrease when exercise is accompanied by warm or cold water. The researchers concluded that participants who consumed the warmest water during exercise had lower body temperatures and were more likely to cool down. Warm beverages stimulate the body’s thermosensors, temperature-sensitive RNA molecules in the stomach/oesophagus. This causes increased sweat output. Researchers attributed body temperature differences among participants who had different temperatures to “disproportionate modulations of sweat output and therefore the potential for evaporative cool.” This means that the body cools off much faster when sweat can fully evaporate in the right conditions.

International Hot Tea in Warm Weather Traditions

This is not a new trend in many cultures. Hot tea is a common summertime drink in many Asian countries and some Middle Eastern countries. It is not surprising that countries like India, Egypt and Saudi Arabia have some of the hottest climates in the world. Arid climates have a high excess of evaporation and little precipitation. This makes these areas hot and dry. This is the perfect climate for hot tea to cool down. Research has shown that a hot beverage can only lower body temperature when sweat is completely evaporated. Countries in these regions experience dry heat, which is different from the humidity found in tropical areas so they can reap the full benefits. While there are many great health benefits to hot tea in summer, they may not be available to everyone. Even if your climate is dry, you won’t see much benefit from hot tea on humid days or when the sweat is dripping off your skin.

Get This Tea Trend Now!

Although it may seem counterintuitive that you would drink hot tea on a hot summer day, if the weather is right, hot tea can cool you down better than cold or iced drinks. Drinking hot tea in summer will help maintain your body temperature. You can find many teas that make great hot drinks in Revolution Tea’s premium Tea Shop. We have everything you need, from black tea to organic tea to tea made with herbal and organic teas to caffeine-free teas. Check out our selection and find the right blend for you this summer!