It’s hot. Very hot. Enough for even the fan is no longer enough. The kind of day when each breath of fresh air seems to get out of the oven. So necessarily, we give in. We offer a moment of respitea little pleasure supposed to bring us back to life.
Ice cubes: why the body can react badly
Under high temperatures, our body naturally adapts to maintain its thermal balance. When swallowing a very cold ice cube or drink, contrast to internal heat can cause brutal digestive reactions.
The intense cold that comes into direct contact with the mouth, the throat or the stomach sometimes causes a brutal reaction:
- stomach spasms or colon,
- feeling of cramp or immediate nausea,,
- Slowed digestionsometimes accompanied by deaf pain.
These effects appear more easily in sensitive people or already weakened by heat. They can also be reinforced when you drink too quickly, on an empty stomach or just after physical effort. The problem is not so much the freshness as the violence of the cold on an already heated body.
Cracked teeth, lively pain: watch out for the crunching reflex
If some let the ice cubes melt into the bottom of the glass, others have the reflex to bite them, often without even realizing them. This gesture may seem trivial, but it represents a real risk for the teeth.
Check an ice cube exposes to:
- Enamel microfissivesinvisible but painful,
- a worsening of dental hypersensitivity,,
- partial fractures On fragile, sealed or already weakened teeth.
Even without crunching them, their simple prolonged contact can trigger acute pain, especially in people with naked collas, wear of the enamel or cold -sensitive teeth. These cases are frequent in summer, when frozen drinks are common.
Refresh without risk: good practices with ice cubes
The ice cubes are not to be banished: well used, they remain a pleasant way to cool off. But some precautions allow you to enjoy their freshness without putting your body to the test.
At home:
- Drink slowly, especially after prolonged exposure.
- Avoid swallowing whole ice cubes or chewing them.
- Prefer cold but not frozen drinks.
On the terrace:
- Ask for a “icing” drink if the heat is overwhelming.
- Add one or two ice cubes yourself, once the drink is tempered.
- Drinking in small sips to avoid digestive shock.
Traveling:
- In some countries, ice cubes can also pose a health risk If they are made with tap water.
- Better to avoid them and opt for bottled water at room temperatureor slightly cool, but without adding ice.
To limit unpleasant reactions, it is better to take the ice cubes out of the freezer for a few minutes before using themlet them melt partially, or simply favor fresh water, without excess. Because it is not the freshness that poses a problem, but the thermal aggression.
