Many people suffer from the problematic effects of digestive issues and utilize a range of unique products, specialized services, and educational resources to help alleviate them, just as they do with a vast number of other medical problems. The more information you have about an issue, the more you’ll be able to effectively overcome it, after all. For example, did you know that digestion doesn’t just relate to the kinds of foods you eat, but the food’s temperature, as well?
Temperature plays a vital role in not just your general health but your digestive health too. Our trusted industry experts here at Original Breath are dedicated to helping you learn everything you need to know about the relationship between temperature and digestion, so you can understand how to amplify your body’s digestive wellness. Please continue reading to learn more, and don’t forget to explore our Food Temperature guidelines for further information.
Related: What is SIBO and How to Control It
Digestion and Body Temperature: What You Need to Know
Homeostasis, in short, is the body’s tendency to monitor and maintain several internal states to stay healthy and function properly. One of these critical states is core body temperature, which is usually about 98.6° F for the average human. Maintaining this average temperature is vital for many areas of health, so it’s no surprise that the best digestion occurs at this temperature. Even when consuming foods and beverages at colder temperatures- like ice water or delicious popsicles- the body quickly works to warm these substances up to promote effective digestive processes.
The Centuries-Old Science of Temperature and its Effects on Digestion
Scientists have been intrigued by the effects of food’s temperature and the digestive process for at least a century. Well-known medical doctors have even included entire chapters on the topic in books discussing links between the two factors, such as the 1905 text Practical Dietetics With Special Reference to Diet in Disease, written by the late William Gilman Thompson MD. According to the results of his experiments with patients, his published work noted that foods and beverages of different temperatures could be consumed during a single meal. Yet, the stomach’s temperature does not change by “so much as half a degree.”
Are you currently on the hunt for an effective, natural way to start feeling better that can work by complementing the medicine and treatment you’re already receiving? Consider contacting our trusted medical professionals at Original Breath today to learn more about our range of expert products and services and what we can do to help.
Warmth is Better: It’s a Proven Fact!
Though many people may prefer the refreshing feeling of cool beverages on a hot summer’s day, warm beverages have been repeatedly shown to be more soothing and beneficial for the body’s digestive system through both anecdotal and scientific evidence. Warm temperatures aren’t only helpful regarding consumed foods and beverages, however.
Many colonoscopy patients, for example, have routinely reported that they felt an alleviation of pain and spasms when warm liquids were infused into their colon. Additionally, evidence has long held that warm beverages are beneficial for relaxing muscles, reducing pain, promoting circulation, and preventing a range of problematic medical problems, such as constipation. This is especially the case in hot summer climates, which can otherwise encourage higher levels of dehydration in the body, leading to digestive issues.
Related: How Indigestion is Caused From Lack of Acid
The Impact of Air Temperature
Scientific research on the human body’s functioning in different climates has indicated that blood vessels open and more hormones are adequately circulated in the system in warmer weather, promoting more effective digestion and enhanced performance of other bodily processes. While few changes in these processes are observed in colder climates except in the extreme case of significant core temperature drops and hypothermia, the impact of temperature in foods and liquids is still highly notable.
Treatment for hypothermia includes using warm blankets and taking in fluids that are slightly to moderately hotter than the surrounding air temperature to avoid shocking the system further. Such treatments indicate the importance of food and beverage temperature in helping the body to achieve and maintain temperature homeostasis in extreme situations. Meaning that temperature isn’t only essential in digestive processes as a whole but in helping maintain a healthy body temperature overall when exposed to extreme and compromising environmental conditions.
A Potential Connection to Illness and Disease
Interestingly enough, there is no true consensus on the best temperature of foods and liquids regarding the other extremes of high heat and fevers. While some people recommend cold drinks and keeping the body as cool as possible, others recommend blankets and warm drinks during such situations. And while cold foods and fluids may be effective in treating nausea, warm and hot liquids have proven much more effective in cleansing mucus membranes. Additionally, even in the case of fever and extremely high body temperatures, cold fluids have been shown to potentially cause more problems than they solve by resulting in irritated bowels, leading to constipation, diarrhea, and abdominal pain for some people.
Related: What is Leaky Gut?
Learn More From Us
Digestion issues are never a fun thing for anyone to deal with, so it’s essential to understand the various impacts that food, drinks, and their temperature can have on your digestive processes. If you’d like to find more information about different elements related to overall digestive wellness or how to tackle other wellness-related issues, please don’t hesitate to contact us today. From insomnia to fertility troubles, our trusted medical industry experts here at Original Breath are here to help locate effective solutions that can allow you to live your best life by embracing principles of wellness.
Do you suffer from issues relating to pain, digestion, fertility, or other chronic problems that make it hard to enjoy your everyday life? Consider contacting our trusted industry experts at Original Breath today to learn about our range of specialized services and products to find out what we can do for you.
