Why aespa’s Winter urges fans to eat warm foods
Aespa's Winter / Captured from Winter's social media
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Aespa member Winter has shared a simple but timely message with fans, urging them to take care of their health as temperatures drop below freezing.
Through a fan communication platform, Winter recently told fans to “be careful not to catch a cold” and stressed that they should “make sure to eat warm food.” Her message quickly drew attention, resonating with fans facing increasingly cold and dry winter conditions.
Health experts say Winter’s advice is well grounded. On days when temperatures fall below zero, consuming warm foods can help with cold prevention by temporarily raising body temperature and supporting immune cell activity. Warm soups and teas help keep the nasal passages and throat moist, which is important because dry mucous membranes allow viruses to attach more easily.
When you eat warm food, blood flow to the mucous membranes increases, strengthening the body’s ability to block viruses, experts say. Warming up after exposure to cold air can be especially helpful in the early stages of a cold.
Foods such as warm porridge, ginger tea, jujube tea and honey water can ease fatigue and soothe sore throats. However, experts caution that hotter is not always better.
Consuming foods hotter than 65 degrees Celsius can cause burns or micro-injuries to the mouth and esophagus, potentially weakening local immune defenses. Extremely hot foods can also irritate the stomach, triggering pain or acid reflux. When the throat is already inflamed, excessive heat may worsen irritation. Specialists recommend keeping food temperatures around 40 to 50 degrees Celsius.
Indoor dryness during winter is another major risk factor. Heating systems lower humidity, allowing viruses to spread more easily. Experts recommend maintaining indoor humidity between 40 and 60 percent and avoiding large temperature gaps between indoors and outdoors.
In cold, dry weather, viruses survive longer and spread faster through droplets. Balanced nutrition, frequent handwashing and regular ventilation are key to staying healthy during the winter season.
This article from Kormedi.com, Korea’s top health care and medical portal, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.