The temperature of the drink was found to have links to anxiety, insomnia and an upset stomach, the San Diego State University study found. The study is the first in the US to directly link cold and hot food and drinks to multiple health outcomes.

“Something as simple as the temperature of what we eat and drink can have real impacts on health,” Tianying Wu, an associate professor of epidemiology, said in a statement.

“Because cold and hot consumption is such a routine part of daily life in the US, at home and in restaurants, the findings have broad relevance to everyday health choices,” she said.

The findings used data from the school’s Healthy Ageing Survey, examining more than 400 Asian and white American adults.

The research also exposed both cultural and physiological differences among the groups.

Among Asian participants, who preferred hot items, they found that drinking more cold drinks in the summer was associated with increased anxiety, more sleep disturbances and greater feelings of abdominal fullness.

And white participants, a group more used to cold drinks, who drank more hot beverages in winter reported lower levels of depression, improved sleep quality and fewer digestive symptoms.

These effects were the most pronounced in people who frequently reported “cold hands”, the researchers noted.

Cold hands are a possible indicator of reduced circulation that impacts millions of Americans.

They can also be a symptom of Peripheral Artery Disease, a condition that is one of the leading causes of amputation and affects 1 in 20 Americans over the age of 50.

Jessica Mack, a wellness expert and occupational therapist who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital that consuming warm foods and beverages “can have a measurable impact on the body’s stress response”.

“The increase in body temperature can also enhance circulation and trigger the release of feel-good neurotransmitters like serotonin,” she said.

The researchers said their results reinforce traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine practices for both racial groups, which warns against excessive consumption of cold drinks.