Cold and hot consumption and health outcomes among US Asian and White populations

This study examined the associations between cold and hot food and beverage consumption and various health outcomes among Asians and Whites in the USA. Data were drawn from 212 Asian and 203 White adults (aged 18-65 years) in the Healthy Ageing Survey. Participants reported their frequency of cold and hot drink and meal intake, along with symptoms of depression, anxiety, insomnia and gastrointestinal issues (e.g. gas, abdominal fullness). Multivariable analyses adjusted for confounders were used to assess these associations. Among Asians, higher cold consumption in summer was associated with increased anxiety (β = 0·24, 95 % CI: 0·05, 0·44) and abdominal fullness (β = 0·05, 95 % CI: 0·01, 0·86). In contrast, among Whites, higher winter hot drink intake was linked to lower insomnia (β = -0·23, 95 % CI: -0·42, -0·04) and gas symptoms (β = -0·05, 95 % CI: -0·09, -0·01). Tertile analyses showed that, compared with tertile 1, Asians in the highest tertile of summer cold drink intake had higher insomnia scores (β = 1·26, 95 % CI: 0·19, 2·33), while Whites in the highest tertile of winter hot drink intake had lower depression scores (β = -1·73, 95 % CI: -3·28, -0·18). These associations were stronger among individuals with cold hands but not observed in those without. Findings suggest that the temperature of foods and beverages may influence mental and gut health, underscoring the need to consider temperature-related dietary habits in public health and nutrition strategies, particularly across diverse populations.