Science Says This Is Why You Are Always Thirsty After Taking Ice Cream

Ice cream becomes trendy during summer for obvious reasons: to cool down. However, scientists say it may not be of much help and perhaps even worsen your frustration under the summer's heat.

This is because you'll be hit with a large bout of thirst after eating ice-cream. The scientific explanation for this is that just like when you consume other sweet foods, sugar enters your bloodstream and begins to circulate through the body. During the process, the sugar particles remove water from your body’s cells, causing dehydration.

Your body cells respond by sending chemical messages to the brain indicating that it’s time to drink fluids. This stimulates a feedback loop from your brain, particularly the hypothalamus, to instigate thirst to alert you of when you need water most.

Furthermore, ice cream typically contains large amounts of sodium which is also a common culprit of dehydration. It may be hard to believe but without salt, there won't be ice-cream! Manufacturers use large amounts of salt to bring the mixture of ingredients in ice cream below the freezing point of water without turning it into an ice cube.

So what can you do? Don't worry, you don't have to stop eating ice cream! Here are a few tips to help you handle this dehydration better:

Always make sure you have a bottle of water next to you before eating the ice cream.
Consider making your own ice cream so that you can control the amount of sodium going in.
You may substitute ice-cream for frozen fruit pops as healthier and less dehydrating choices.

Don't forget to enjoy!