Feeling anxious or having trouble sleeping? A bowl of hot soup or a cup of tea may do more than warm you up — it could help calm your mind.

A 2025 study from San Diego State University found that consuming cold foods and drinks in summer was linked to higher levels of anxiety and depression, while enjoying warm beverages such as soups and teas during winter was associated with lower rates of depression and insomnia.

According to Food & Wine, Western nutrition rarely takes into account the temperature of food or beverages. However, the new research aligns with traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, which both emphasize the importance of balancing body temperature and caution against excessive consumption of cold foods and drinks.

The study, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, examined more than 400 Asian and white adults across the United States to explore how hot and cold consumption affects mood, sleep, and digestion.

Researchers discovered that participants who consumed warm foods and drinks reported reduced anxiety and better sleep quality. Those who preferred cold foods, on the other hand, experienced more anxiety, sleep problems, and digestive discomfort.

Among Asian participants, higher consumption of cold beverages during the summer was associated with greater anxiety, more sleep disturbances, and feelings of abdominal fullness. In contrast, white participants who drank more hot beverages in winter reported fewer digestive issues, better sleep, and lower levels of depression, according to Medical Express.

“These findings provide a snapshot of how hot and cold consumption may relate to health outcomes,” said lead researcher Tianying Wu. “The next step is to conduct more rigorous prospective and intervention studies, since the effects can be dynamic — for example, older adults or individuals with poor circulation may be especially vulnerable to cold exposure.”

The results suggest that simply choosing warm foods and drinks — especially in colder months — may be an easy and natural way to boost emotional health, improve sleep, and support better digestion.