In Chinese medicine culture, the concepts of “hot” and “cold” are fundamental in understanding the balance of the body’s energy, or ‘qi’, and its influence on health and disease.
Their theory suggests that consuming warm or hot foods and drinks helps to stimulate the digestive system and improve digestion. Warm foods are believed to be easier for the body to metabolize and assimilate compared to cold foods, which may slow down digestion.
They believe the body’s internal balance of yin and yang energies is crucial for health. Consuming hot foods and drinks is thought to help regulate and balance these energies. Cold foods are often considered to be more yin in nature, while hot foods are more yang. By consuming warm or hot foods, individuals aim to maintain a harmonious balance between yin and yang.
Hot foods and drinks are believed to promote circulation and blood flow throughout the body. This can be especially beneficial during colder weather or for individuals who tend to feel cold easily. Improved circulation is thought to support overall vitality and energy levels.
Warm or hot foods are often associated with strengthening the body’s qi and immune system. Maintaining a strong qi is essential for resisting illness and maintaining overall health. So consuming warm or hot foods is seen as a way to support and nourish the body’s energy reserves.
In Chinese culture, there is a belief that consuming cold foods and drinks, especially during colder seasons, can weaken the body’s defences and make it more susceptible to colds, flu, and other respiratory illnesses. Therefore, people may prefer to consume warm or hot foods as a preventive measure against such illnesses.
There’s also the history of water being polluted in pre-modern times with either parasites or bacteria. China has modernised overall very quickly, however their water pipe system hasn’t modernised as quickly as the rest of society. It’s not safe to drink water from a tap, so in China, everyone boils their water to make it safe for consumption. This idea that warm/boiled is safer and cold is dangerous, pervades more due to this historic connection with fresh or tap water.
All this combined have created a culture where Chinese people from the older generations believe hot water is a medical cure for many things, and any cold drinks are always bad for your health.
Their belief in drinking warm water over cold is so strong that it’s become even a meme to many, because you might complain about having a cold and you’ll be advised by a Chinese parent or grandparents that you just need to drink some warm water to be cured of it.
Importantly warm water can indeed help alleviate respiratory infections by loosening mucus, making it easier to expel, and by soothing irritated throat tissues, reducing discomfort and promoting healing. So it’s not that it’s untrue that warm water can’t be beneficial.
It’s the level at which there’s this belief in warm water as some sort of ultimate panacea that is the source of the meme when thinking that warm water can cure anything, and the dismissal of cold drinks as specifically unhealthy.
You can be blamed for having anything cold whilst you’re ill, that “you’re making your condition worse”, even though cold drinks can be beneficial in cooling you down in very hot countries. Cold drinks can help cool the body and alleviate symptoms of heat-related conditions, such as fever or inflammation, while also providing enhanced refreshment and enjoyment.
The elder generation’s belief about hot and cold food and water is unlikely to change because the ideas are now so firmly planted, so it will likely continue to be a source of contention between the old and new generations, and continue to be the subject of memes.
