HOT weather comes with its ups and downs.
On the one hand, it heralds holidays, swims, garden drinks, and balmy evenings.
Bloating in hot summer weather isn’t uncommon
But on the other, summer scorchers bring sunburn, heatstroke, sleepless and sweaty nights.
And then there’s the bloating – the last thing you want when you don fewer and skimpier clothes to beat the heat.
If you’re confused about the cause of your swollen tummy, nutritionist Dr Pamela Mason from the Tea Advisory Panel has you covered.
You might naturally assume that the cold drinks you’re gulping down to stave off dehydration are what’s causing your bloated middle.
But Dr Mason told the Mirror it’s more complicated than that.
Firstly, the heat causes the blood vessels and capillaries to dilate, allowing more fluid to fill in the interstitial spaces between organs and tissues.
“Secondly, there is some, emerging, evidence that hot weather can change the bacterial mix in the gut which can lead to digestive problems such as diarrhoea and constipation which redirects blood flow to the gut,” she said.
“Thirdly, a heat wave can cause us to gulp down cold drinks causing bloating.”
Though Dr Mason noted that bloating isn’t dangerous in most cases, she acknowledged it can be uncomfortable.
Thankfully, there are ways to ease your symptoms – including a ‘magic drink’.
According to the nutritionist, this is black and ginger tea.
While a steaming hot cuppa might not seem the most appealing in the middle of a heatwave, Dr Mason said the flavonoids in black tea – taken with or without milk – can be just the ticket for your swollen tummy, as they can reduce inflammation in the gut.
They can also apparently rejig the microbial mix in your gut, decreasing the less healthy bacteria that cause bloating and increasing healthy ones.
Dr Mason added: “Ginger tea has the ability to reduce indigestion which in turn can help reduce bloating too.
“But if you drink black tea, stick with it, as its flavonoid content can help overall health, including gut health.”
The good news is that tea is super cheap and you probably already have it in your cupboard – you can nab a pack of 80 black tea bags at Tesco for just £1.10.
Dr Mason also suggested eating fibre-rich foods and exercising regularly to beat the bloat.
Eating slowly and mindfully, and chewing carefully so as not to swallow to much air, can help your summer bloat, as can staying well hydrated.
But it’s important to avoid fizzy drinks and stick to tea and water.
“Sipping a warm cup of tea is helpful for bloating in part because you cannot gulp it down plus it’s packed with many health and wellness benefits,” Dr Mason said.
GP Dr Anisha Patel previously warned that you should speak to a GP if your bloating is persistent and not related to food.
As for other hot weather fixes, a doctor revealed how you’re applying sun cream wrong.
And if you’re off to Glastonbury this weekend or have other festival plans, Sun Health put together your go-to-guide for what to pack to stay safe.