Why you crave ice cream in heat and soup in cold
Twenty four-hour passive heat and cold exposures did not modify energy intake and appetite but strongly modify food reward
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
People ate more cold food in heat and warm food in cold—but didn’t consume more total calories.
Common belief: cold = more eating to stay warm, heat = less eating to cool down. This study flips that—preference shifts, not intake.
Practical Takeaways
If you're trying to eat healthier in summer, stock up on chilled, low-fat snacks. In winter, choose warm, satisfying meals to avoid overeating high-fat foods.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
People ate more cold food in heat and warm food in cold—but didn’t consume more total calories.
Common belief: cold = more eating to stay warm, heat = less eating to cool down. This study flips that—preference shifts, not intake.
Practical Takeaways
If you're trying to eat healthier in summer, stock up on chilled, low-fat snacks. In winter, choose warm, satisfying meals to avoid overeating high-fat foods.
Publication
Journal
British Journal of Nutrition
Year
2024
Authors
Maxime Coca, Louis Besançon, Mégane Erblang, Stéphanie Bourdon, Arnaud Gruel, Benoît Lepetit, Vincent Beauchamps, Blandine Tavard, Pauline Oustric, Graham S. Finlayson, David Thivel, Alexandra Malgoyre, Pierre-Emmanuel Tardo-Dino, Cyprien Bourrilhon, Keyne Charlot
Related Content
Claims (8)
Your body releases slightly more hunger hormone when it’s cold and more fullness hormone when it’s hot, but these changes don’t make you eat more or less.
When it’s hot, people eat more cold dishes and drinks; when it’s cold, they eat more hot, hearty meals—even if they don’t eat more calories overall.
When it’s hot, people want colder and lighter foods more; when it’s cold, they crave warmer and fattier foods—even if they don’t eat more overall.
Hot and cold rooms change what kinds of food you crave, but they don’t make you worse at tasting or smelling food.
Spending a full day in very hot or very cold rooms doesn’t make people eat more or less food overall, even though their bodies react to the temperature.