The summer season is in full swing, and it’s not just about constant vacations, outdoor recreation, and sunbathing, but also a serious test for our bodies. Few people know, but when the thermometer crosses the +30°C mark, it is already dangerous for a certain category of people, and in general, prolonged exposure to the sun in such heat can end up in the hospital even for a completely healthy person.
However, the first thing most of us want to do on a sunny day is enjoy the summer heat on the beach and paralelo while drinking something as cold and refreshing as possible. And when choosing soft drinks, our hand, as always, reaches for the bright jars in the supermarket refrigerator.
However, cardiologists and gastroenterologists call this period a categorical taboo on certain types of food and drinks. It is not for nothing that this usual choice of drink or snack can be fatal for your health on hot days. We are talking about sweet carbonated drinks and energy drinks , as well as ice-cold beer, beloved by many , and fatty snacks . It would seem that they instantly quench your thirst, but in this article we will tell you what these products actually trigger in the body and what destructive processes in conditions of abnormal heat can lead to catastrophic consequences for your health.
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Why are sugary drinks, alcohol, and fatty foods the main enemies in the heat?
Many people believe that any liquid helps the body cool down, and any food is filling and safe to eat even in the heat. We will debunk this dangerous myth in a few seconds and here’s why:
When you drink sweet soda or alcohol (even low-alcohol drinks), you get a short-term illusion of coolness, for which you will have to pay dearly for your health, because when you feel the matter, it means:
1. Rapid dehydration of the body
If, deceiving our body, you give it a glass of cold sweet carbonated water or energy drink, a huge amount of sugar (or its substitutes) and caffeine enters your blood. To digest such a shock dose of glucose, the body is forced to spend its own, already critical, water reserves in the body. That is, instead of saturating cells with moisture, these drinks work as powerful diuretics (diuretics) and wash out the last valuable residues.
A paradox arises: the more sweet water you drink, the stronger your body becomes thirsty, but you will not feel it because you have only deceived your body and given it gasoline to put out the flames instead of regular drinking water. Cells that have been extinguished with such “sugar gasoline” lose fluid even more rapidly, and critical dehydration occurs , which develops even faster in the summer heat. Alcohol and fatty foods act on the same principle, blocking the antidiuretic hormone, which forces the kidneys to excrete water at an accelerated rate.
2. Double blow to the cardiovascular system
On hot days, our cardiovascular system is already working at its limits. Blood vessels dilate, blood pressure can fluctuate, and the heart beats much more frequently to ensure normal heat dissipation and cool the body through sweat.
What happens when you drink an energy drink or a cold cola at this moment?
- Caffeine sharply constricts blood vessels and further stimulates the heart rate.
- A jump in blood sugar thickens it (as after a fatty or sweet meal), increasing the risk of blood clots. The heart receives a colossal double load, because it is forced to pump blood even faster through vessels that have narrowed in diameter. This can end fatally for people with hypertension or hidden heart pathologies – such a “refreshing” pause can provoke a hypertensive crisis or even a heart attack.
3. A direct path to heat stroke
Why is heat stroke so dependent on what we consume? Doctors explain it quite simply: normal thermoregulation is impossible without a sufficient amount of clean water and electrolytes in the body. When dehydration reaches a critical point due to the consumption of sugary fluids (from sugary drinks or foods), the body literally loses its ability to sweat. The internal temperature begins to rise rapidly, and your body is no longer able to cool itself. These are ideal conditions for getting severe heat stroke – a condition that is accompanied by dizziness, nausea, loss of consciousness and requires immediate hospitalization.
Other dangerous products to avoid
Health in the summer season depends not only on sweet or alcoholic drinks. Doctors have identified a whole list of foods that worsen your well-being under the scorching sun. Doctors also include the following foods in the category of dangerous foods in the heat:
- Salty snacks (chips, nuts, crackers): Excess salt retains fluid in the intercellular space, provoking severe swelling and increased blood pressure, while the cells themselves remain dehydrated.
- Fatty meat and fast food: The body uses a huge amount of energy and heat to digest heavy, fatty foods. This causes “internal overheating” and a feeling of extreme fatigue.
- Coffee and strong black tea in large quantities: Act as diuretics, increasing fluid loss.
Diet in the heat: how to help your body
On hot days, in order not to cause trouble, it is worth acting proactively. Doctors advise sticking to a proper diet during the summer heat . It should be as light as possible and based on foods that naturally cool and moisturize the body.
What exactly do doctors recommend eating in the heat to help your body? Focus on vegetables and fruits with a high water content: cucumbers, tomatoes, celery, watermelons, melons, zucchini. Instead of heavy meat, choose lean fish or poultry. Soups are best eaten cold (okroshka on kefir, gazpacho, cold soup).
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What to drink in the summer to really quench your thirst?
To maintain water balance and avoid overloading the heart, doctors recommend the following drinks:
- Plain table or mineral water without gas. This is the gold standard. In the heat, you should drink 0.5-1 liter more than your usual norm.
- Water with lemon and mint (without sugar). The slight sourness is great for stimulating salivation, relieving dry mouth.
- Fermented milk drinks. Ayran, tan, or low-fat kefir contain beneficial amino acids and help restore electrolyte balance.
- Herbal teas. Chamomile, linden, lemon balm, or green tea (at room temperature) are invigorating and do not overload the nervous system.
Important rule: Drinks should not be ice cold. Too cold liquid causes spasm of the stomach vessels, which makes water absorbed into the blood more slowly, and thirst does not disappear. In addition, a sharp temperature drop is a direct path to summer angina. The optimal temperature of a drink in the heat is room temperature.
We hope this article was useful for you, so take care of yourself, enjoy the summer and read labels carefully. Don’t let marketing tricks with bright labels and colored water undermine your health!
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