Could Your Hot Fall Drink Actually Cool You Down?

You Should Know: Now that it’s officially fall, you’re probably swapping your iced tea and coffee for hot versions. Cupping your hands around a steaming latte may keep those fingers toasty, but what about the rest of your body? It seems obvious that drinking something hot will warm you from the inside out, but that’s not necessarily the case.

Going Deeper: Theoretically, yes, a hot drink can cool you down. Drinking something hot raises your body temperature, and your body starts to sweat as a result to cool itself down. When the sweat evaporates from your skin, it takes excess heat with it. That’s great in the summer, but maybe not so much when it’s cold outside. 

Takeaway: How well your body cools down from sweat depends on the environment in which you’re sweating. Sitting outdoors on a warm, breezy day with bare skin? The sweat will evaporate faster and cool you down better. Curled up indoors wearing a sweater and wrapped in a blanket? Sweat can’t easily evaporate, so the heat stays put. 

Bottom Line: How a hot drink affects your body temperature is situational, determined by how well (or not) sweat and heat are able to leave your skin.